Price gouging in the wake of "Harvey" is already becoming a real issue, and people who are caught driving up prices on food, water and other emergency needs will face stiff penalties, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday.
"We have had a hotline, or website, a lot of pictures, but people can give us more information more quickly," Paxton told Fox News "America's Newsroom" program.
"Our legislature determined a long time ago they don't want people price gouging during a crisis when people are most in need, especially for food, water, hotel rooms and fuel. There are the things that we address, and we will continue to address," Paxton said.
As recovery efforts continue, there likely will be more price gouging occurring, Paxton said. Those found guilty of such activities could face fines of up to $20,000, or up to $60,000 if they are victimizing people ages 65 or older.
"It is a serious issue," Paxton said, warning those guilty that "we are following up to it and we are likely to find you."
The attorney general office's hotline, at (800) 252-8011, and the agency's website have already received more than 350 complaints about price gouging, reports Austin television station KXAN.
One of those complaints came from the station itself, after a reporter was quoted a price for a hotel room at a location outside Corpus Christi that came to almost three times the amount normally charged.
The television station, which learned that several other guests also had been overcharged, gave Paxton a copy of its invoice from the hotel, and on Monday, the hotel refunded the difference in prices to approximately 40 people.
Paxton on Tuesday told Fox that his state is used to hurricanes, tornadoes and other bad weather, but Harvey is different from any storm.
"Despite that, it has been amazing the cooperation between the state governor, — Governor Abbott, the Trump administration, and local officials," said Paxton. "I think they have done an outstanding job given the fact the storm just never stopped."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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