Carr warns Georgia consumers to beware of scammers and price gougers

Attorney General Chris Carr is warning consumers to be on the lookout for scams and possible price gouging as Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast. At 12:00 p.m. today, Gov. Nathan Deal enacted a State of Emergency for all 159 counties in Georgia. The State of Emergency shall be valid for a period of one week.

“Sadly enough, con artists often exploit disasters by taking advantage of storm victims or preying on the sympathies of those who want to help out,” said Attorney General Carr. “The Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit is authorized to investigate scams and price gouging. Under Georgia law, penalties for this type of conduct can range between $2,000 to $15,000 per violation. We strongly urge scammers and price gougers to think twice before trying to take advantage of consumers who are fleeing the storm’s path or attempting to rebuild their lives in this storm’s aftermath in Georgia.”

If you feel that you may have been the victim of a scam or price gouging, please contact the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit at 404-651-8600 within the metro Atlanta area or at 1-800-869-1123 toll-free outside of the metro Atlanta calling area. Telephone counselors are available between 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Thursday, and 8:30am-4:00pm on Friday. In addition, you can find more resources on the Consumer Protection Unit’s website:

• The Office of the Attorney General’s online complaint form to report price gouging can be found here.
• More information about price gouging can be found here.

Read Governor Deal’s emergency declaration here.