JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the state keeps watch on Hurricane Dorian, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said her office received more that 1,000 price gouging complaints on Friday alone
Moody said the state is getting faster at catching offenders, thanks to the public.
"What we're focusing on right now is preventing the behavior," Moody said.
Moody is putting price gougers on alert, as citizens focus on filling up their gas tanks and stocking up on water. By law, when Florida's under a state of emergency, companies can't raise prices higher than the average price in the last month.
With a hurricane looming, Moody said people are usually focused on getting what they need, not recording proof of the illegal act.
"Often times it's hard to go back and get the information after the emergency has passed," Moody said.
But with the state's new price gouging app, which was activated at the start of the hurricane season, consumers now have a better way to fight businesses that are trying to take advantage of them during an emergency by being able to provide specific details during the incident.
"The type of product, comparable prices of similar products, weight, all of that is necessary for us to examine on a case by case basis, when we're later determining how best to proceed," Moody said.
Businesses or people found guilty of price gouging may face fines of up to $1,000 dollars per violation. The Better Business Bureau warns people to double check prices, and keep records.