CHARLESTON – West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office has received more than 850 consumer complaints related to the Coronavirus pandemic.
When Gov. Jim Justice issued a state of preparedness March 4, the state’s price gouging law went into effect. Morrisey’s office handles complaints related to those laws.
“Our Consumer Protection Division remains active and ready to assist consumers year round, but our diligent staff is working with increased vigor now that COVID-19 has hit our state,” Morrisey said in a press release. “I urge consumers with any issues, don’t hesitate to call our office if they see anything suspicious.”
More than 30 of those reports have led to varying degrees of action. That includes subpoenas and numerous letters to businesses whose conduct may have violated the state’s price gouging law or landlords whose eviction threats may have underplayed the need for a court order.
Among consumer inquires and reports are questions about price gouging, particularly on household goods and groceries. Other popular concerns have involved landlord-tenant issues, vacation or event cancellations and the continued payment for services not received, such as daycare and gymnasium memberships.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline – 1-800-368-8808 – remains open to assist with claims of price gouging, COVID-19 scams or other ways in which bad actors may try to take advantage of consumers during the pandemic. People also can file complaints at www.wvago.gov.
The office said it also has been monitoring scam activity to make sure consumers are alerted to the latest Coronavirus-related scams, including those involving utility impostors, stimulus check fraud and sham charities. The office said deceptive advertising claims of “cures” for Coronavirus also have circulated.
For example, the office's Consumer Protection Division recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to a business that claimed CBD oil could cure Coronavirus.
Morrisey also is reminding consumers to never give out personal, identifiable information without verifying the caller’s legitimacy, whether it be via phone, email or text message.
Morrisey also remains active in providing counsel to his constitutional office counterparts as well as local government officials regarding matters of executive authority, elections and the Second Amendment.
The state’s price gouging law makes it unlawful for any person, business or contractor to inflate the price of food items, essential consumer items and emergency supplies by more than 10 percent of what the items sold for 10 days prior to the declaration.
The price gouging law takes effect during any state of emergency or state of preparedness as issued by West Virginia’s governor. Such laws remain in effect until the declaration is lifted or 30 days, whichever is longer, subject to limited exceptions.
“Let me be clear about one point,” Morrisey said earlier. “We have price-gouging authority in this office, and I intend to make sure that law is enforced.”
Earlier this month, Morrisey and the state’s two U.S. Attorneys announced the formation of the West Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing pandemic.
The West Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force is a joint federal and state partnership that will be led by a Deputy West Virginia Attorney General, and Assistant United States Attorneys from both the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia, in partnership with experienced fraud investigators from the West Virginia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation and the West Virginia State Police.