Attorney General Schmitt, Governor Mike Parson and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe are warning Missourians of potential COVID-19-related scams and price gouging across the state.
A news release says all three offices have been monitoring these scams and will be sharing information to ensure that Missouri consumers are protected.
Attorney General Schmitt said across Missouri, COVID-19-related price gouging and scams are a big concern and over 400 price-gouging complaints in the past two weeks have been received.
“Price gouging and scams are not acceptable anytime, let alone during a crisis,” Governor Parson said. “We must continue to work together and take action to protect Missouri citizens from those looking to prey on our most vulnerable.”
“The Lieutenant Governor’s office continues to work on behalf of Missouri’s Seniors and Veterans, all the more so during these difficult times. I am grateful to the Attorney General’s Office for their diligent efforts doing the same,” Lieutenant Governor Kehoe said.
Missouri law prohibits individuals and businesses from substantially raising their prices for the necessities of life during an emergency. Consumers need to be aware of products that see a large increase in prices, particularly substantial price increases on hand sanitizer, medical masks, soap, over-the-counter medicine and other necessities. Missouri’s hospitals and healthcare professionals also should be on the lookout for medical supply chain price gouging.
The Attorney General’s Office recently issued a cease and desist letter to a Springfield man for inflating the prices of N95 masks and sent civil-investigative demands to eight third-party sellers on Amazon for potential price gouging.
With the passage of the CARES Act, there may be some scammers who try to take advantage of the potential payments to American citizens. Text messages or e-mails purporting to be from the federal government may contain phishing links, and robocalls along the same lines may also start to circulate. These scams are being monitored by federal government agencies and by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
Additionally, some of the most common scams are still circulating during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, scam Social Security Administration (SSA) and IRS calls have been reworked to include COVID-19 as a reason for urgency (example here). Remember, the IRS or SSA will never call you first. Consumers are advised to hang up the phone immediately if they receive calls that seem suspicious. Phishing scams may also circulate through e-mail or text.