The Missouri Attorney General's office is warning the public to be on guard against price gouging following last week's round of tornadoes and thunderstorms that pounded the St. Louis area.
Joe Bindbeutel is Chief Counsel of the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. He says so far they've received some second-hand reports of price gouging.
"Charging three and four and five times as much as a merchant normally would for a service that's considered a necessity," Bindbeutel said. "In this case it happened to be plumbing services, (and) taking care of sanitation after a storm is certainly a necessity."
Bindbeutel also said they've received reports of scammers going to people's homes that don't have power and promising to hook them back up for $350. He advises anyone who may have a complaint to contact the Missouri Attorney General's office at 1-800-392-8222, or visit online at ago.mo.gov/Consumer-Protection.
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