It is egregious that anyone would try to profiteer off of the COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic. 

This is a national heath emergency and still there are unscrupulous people gouging consumers. 

Price-gouging laws were activated when Gov. Brian Kemp signed a State of Emergency declaration.

Attorney General Chris Carr said, “Those who commit price gouging during this pandemic are not only being exploitive, they are interfering with consumers’ ability to obtain products that could help protect them from becoming ill or spreading the virus. Our office will not tolerate this and will hold them accountable.”

Basically, the law says that as long as Georgia remains in the State of Emergency, businesses may not charge more for products and services identified by the state than they charged before the declaration of the state of emergency, unless the increased prices accurately reflect an increase in the cost of new stock or the cost to transport it, plus the retailer’s average markup percentage applied during the 10 days immediately prior to the declaration of the state of emergency.

Violators of the price-gouging laws can be fined up to $5,000 per violation. 

We want to share the attorney general’s advice to help protect our readers from coronavirus-related scams. Here are Carr’s recommendations: 

— Watch out for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or experts saying they have information about the virus. For the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus, visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia Department of Public Health and World Health Organization.

— Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know. It could download a virus onto your computer or device. Make sure the anti-malware and anti-virus software on your computer is up-to-date.

— Ignore online offers for vaccinations. If you see ads touting prevention, treatment or cure claims for the coronavirus, ask yourself: if there’s been a medical breakthrough, would you be hearing about it for the first time through an ad or sales pitch?

— Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it.

— Be alert to “investment opportunities.” The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is warning people about online promotions, including on social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure Coronavirus and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result.

We encourage our readers to report suspected violations of the price-gouging statute by calling 1-800-869-1123 or complete the online complaint form on the Consumer Protection Division’s website at consumer.ga.gov.