Attorney General James Warns Against Price Gouging Amid Statewide Severe Weather

August 9, 2024

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued an alert warning businesses against price gouging of essential items as severe weather impacts communities across New York. A state of emergency has been declared for the entire state as heavy rain and winds move through the state with the potential for flooding, outages, and tornadoes caused by remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. New York's price gouging statute prevents businesses from taking advantage of consumers by selling essential goods or services at an excessively higher price during market disruptions or emergencies. Attorney General James urges New Yorkers who see higher prices on essential goods and services to report the issue to her office.

"Families are understandably concerned as severe rain, excessive wind, and even tornado warnings pass through the state," said Attorney General James. "Businesses cannot take advantage of today's extreme weather to increase prices on New Yorkers trying to stay safe and stock up. I encourage anyone who sees higher than normal prices on essential items to contact my office immediately. As this storm passes through, I urge all New Yorkers to take necessary precautions to stay safe."

New York law prohibits businesses from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services that are vital to health, safety, or welfare for an unconscionably excessive price during emergencies. The price gouging statute covers New York vendors, retailers, and suppliers, and includes essential goods and services that are necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of consumers or the general public. These goods and services include food, water, gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel lodging, and transportation options.

When reporting price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), consumers should:

• Report the specific increased prices, dates, and places that they saw the increased prices; and,
• Provide copies of their sales receipts and photos of the advertised prices, if available.

Price gouging violations can carry penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to OAG by filing a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.