South Florida prosecutors are warning area residents about scams and price gouging as a result of the condominium collapse in Surfside, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office issued a consumer alert about charity fraud scams, the Herald reported Wednesday.
Also, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle's office said, "There have been complaints of possible price gouging at hotels," the Herald said.
A price gouging hotline was set up, and consumers were encouraged to email Fernandez Rundle's office with any complaints. There was a request for businesses names, photos, and receipts to be included.
"Now that the governor has declared a state of emergency, price gouging is a criminal offense," Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. "We are joining efforts with the Miami-Dade Police Department to combat any greedy individuals and businesses that may use unprecedented events like the Surfside tragedy to take advantage of our community’s fundamental needs by unnecessarily hiking prices to outrageous levels."
The arrival of rescue workers, national and international media, friends and family of victims, and condominium residents has increased demands for lodging near the tragedy.
The Herald reported that media members at the command center Saturday shared tales of suspiciously high hotel prices in the area.
Moody has focused on fraud has since being elected in 2018.
"No doubt, people want to come to the aid of their fellow Floridians struck by this catastrophe, but please be cautious of bad actors trying to take advantage of generous donors," Moody said in a statement.
Moody's office suggested people go through the following steps before donating to a charity:
- Check with the the Florida Department of Agriculture website to see if the charity is properly registered with the state.
- Check the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance for complaints.
- Learn how the charity uses what it collects.
- Don’t give bank account information to unsolicited callers or emailers, even if they appear to be from a legitimate charity.
- Make sure the charity isn’t trying to fool you by using a name or logo similar to an established legitimate charity.
WFLA reported that issues can arise from fake GofundMe accounts and other online campaigns, and suggested people look for the names of beneficiaries since the campaign might be adding beneficiaries to the page.
After goods donations flooded Surfside, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie on Tuesday said the best way to help Surfside victims was through cash donations to designated government-approved sites, the Herald reported.
Guthrie said at least one fraudulent donation website had come to the attention of officials.
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