(C) Common Dreams
This story was originally published by Common Dreams and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
California Attorney General Rob Bonta warns against price gouging, scams during LA wildfires [1]
['Daniel Macht', 'Https', 'Www.Facebook.Com', 'Digital Media Manager']
Date: 2025-01-11 19:16:00+00:00
California Attorney General Rob Bonta warns against price gouging, scams during LA wildfires Share Copy Link Copy
Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining us today. Rob Bonte, California attorney General. I wanna say thank you to my colleagues and uh leaders who have joined today. LA County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath. You'll be hearing from everyone shortly. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna. Uh, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, Senator Sasha Rene Perez, and Assembly member Pilar Chavo we're proud to stand united, uh, in this difficult moment for California, for Los Angeles County, for the city of Los Angeles, as fires continue to ravage Los Angeles County, keeping Angeleno safe is an all hands on deck priority and requires us to team up, partner, work together. Local, state, and federal officials are working in close coordination to get these deadly fires under control and to protect Californians and protect our communities. I'm here today to talk to impacted families, which I'll be doing after this gathering, meet with firefighters and first responders and law enforcement, and share important messages about how to stay safe during this emergency. I want to begin by first expressing my most heartfelt condolences to those who have lost loved ones uh in this terrible disaster. And tragedy as well as my sincere sympathies to those who have lost homes, treasured belongings, suffered health problems, or otherwise had to evacuate and be displaced. Our hearts are with you. We're thinking about you, we care about you, and we'll be doing everything we can to help the long process to heal and recover, be successful. This hits close to home, of course, both as *** Californian but also as many of my own employees at the California Department of Justice have lost their homes, have been forced to evacuate, have helped loved ones evacuate. I also have *** daughter here in Los Angeles County who I've been in very close contact with, um, making sure that she's safe and following all the orders and directives. Please know that state and local officials are courageous first responders and my team at DOJ and I are here to support you throughout this difficult time. And there are many trusted nonprofits and charities there as well. You are not alone. There is *** great deal of support. Unfortunately, we've seen before that emergencies like this, in addition to bringing out the best in so many, also bringing out bad actors who seek to use the trauma, the chaos of moments like this for their own gain. They see an opportunity, an opportunity to pray and take advantage. They take advantage of vulnerable and hurting families to make *** quick buck, unfortunately. We've seen that before, so it's important for us to be prepared now. We've seen businesses and landlords that use increased demand during emergencies to jack up the price of essential supplies and services of gas and water, batteries, first aid supplies, construction materials, and housing, including hotels and including short term rentals. It's called price gouging and during the state, *** state of emergency like there is currently in effect in Ventura County and Los Angeles County, it is illegal. You cannot do it. It's unlawful. It is *** crime punishable by up to *** year in jail and $10,000 fines. California law prohibits *** business from charging more than 10% more for *** good or service than they did before the emergency, so prices should only be going up 10% or less, not more. If *** business only began selling the item after the emergency declaration, they can't charge more than 50% of the cost of the item. This is California law. It's in place to protect those who are suffering from *** tragedy, to make sure that they are not victimized again and exploited as they are trying to recover. My office issued *** consumer alert earlier this week about price gouging that has more details about the law. Bottom line, be on the lookout for illegally jacked up prices if you see something. Um, if you know someone who's been the victim of price gouging, please report it to local authorities or my office at OAG.A.gov/report right away. We can take it from there. And I just want to put *** special point on this. We are talking about people who have lost loved ones, whose homes have perished in the fires, who have lost treasured belongings, whose lives have been turned upside down. Who are struggling and suffering, they're looking for housing, they're looking for essential goods to keep their lives moving. The last thing they need is for someone to victimize them again. Exploit them and take advantage of them and harm them through price gouging. They need the opposite. They need some people who are giving them care and support and looking after them and valuing them and helping them. So. This is not who we are. We should not be engaged in price gouging, whether it's groceries or rent. Um, we are very serious about this, and the governor's office as well is very focused on this. We are working at the highest levels in the governor's office on ensuring that there is no price gouging and that anyone engaged in it. Is held accountable. So I want to make two points about this as well. Some of our hotels and some of our landlords use algorithms based on demand. And supply to set their prices. If those algorithms lead to prices higher after the declaration of emergency than before by more than 10%. You're violating the law. You need to figure out how to adjust your prices consistent with the law, and if that means departing from your algorithm, depart from your algorithm. If you're *** mom and pop and you're not aware of these laws, you're now aware of these laws. Ignorance is not an excuse. Not understanding what the lie is is not an excuse. That's why I'm telling you. So it's important that the victims of these fires be treated with respect and dignity and fairness. Price gouging is illegal. We will not stand for it. We will hold you accountable. We will prosecute as appropriate. On top of price gouging, in times like this, we see scam artists. Taking the opportunity to take advantage of the vulnerable, unsuspecting, well-meaning folks, folks in need, folks who are desperate. Be on the lookout for scammers who create fake organizations masquerading as charities and nonprofits or who use crowdfunding sites to falsely claim that they're raising funds for victims. We have people with big hearts who want to help. They want to donate. They want to support the victims. We also see scammers who are taking advantage of that goodness and that generosity and scamming and defrauding those individuals. We've seen scams that have gone after elderly individuals, immigrants, others, including those who don't speak English as their first language. Some even create fraudulent organizations with names that sound eerily legitimate and are easy to fall for like American Red Cross of California. Sounds good, sounds legitimate, sounds official. It's not. It sounds like the Red Cross we all know and trust, but that was actually the name of *** now defunct organization that the DOJ ordered to cease and desist back in 2019 from misleading donors. It tried to use the good branding and goodwill that the Red Cross, the real Red Cross had to create this scam. Scams come in many forms. They're often creative, confusing, persuasive. They can come by text, they can come by phone calls, emails, social media, and crowdfunding sites or in person. So here are *** couple of of key scams to look out for in the wake of this type of disaster. The first is *** contractor scam. This is where someone pretending to be *** contractor tries to pressure homeowners into putting down *** deposit fee to hold their spot and guarantee construction, construction that may never occur. Scammers might also pretend to be insurance adjusters demanding payment for filing *** claim or seeking personal identifying information. They may pose as *** government official or or relief organization like FEMA, uh uh fire restoration or an insurance company asking for again personal information or demanding *** fee for services. That are actually free. There's no fee for government services. Like these, at these times. There are 5 important ways you can stay vigilant and protect yourself from scams like this. Verify credentials, don't be afraid, and I encourage you to check licenses, certifications, uh, reviews for contractors, adjusters, charities, make sure that who you're dealing with is legitimate. Be skeptical, skeptical of demands for upfront payments. That's *** red flag. If they're saying they're gonna help you but they need *** significant upfront payment, um, be suspicious. Confirm authenticity through official channels. I always encourage you to go to official government sites, including our own DOJ's website. We have *** registry search tool there where you can um confirm that charities are legitimate, um, that you are thinking about donating to. That's at OAG.A.gov/ charities. Monitor your bank accounts to make sure that you're not being taken advantage of and defrauded. Report fraud immediately to local law enforcement or to my office at OAG.A.gov. Um, we want to do our part to help to stop the fraud and help any other victims from becoming victims. Finally, we've seen reports of looting. There's no way around it. Looting is wrong, looting is unlawful. The idea of going into *** disaster area to take advantage of the people who have been forced to evacuate and stealing their property. is unimaginable and. It's happening. Don't do it. It's illegal. It's also dangerous and interferes with our first responders who are doing important work and can divert critical and limited resources. So to anyone who would go out and take advantage of this tragedy for their greedy gain, who would further victimize people who have potentially lost everything, who are already victims who would look at this devastation and see dollar signs. I have *** message for you. You will be held accountable. My office will be engaged to hold you accountable. As I close, I want to take *** moment to thank our firefighters, law enforcement, first responders, the cow guard service members who are on the ground, saving lives, helping people through this tragic time. Thank you to all of you for what you've done, what you are doing, what you will do. They're heroes and they deserve our unending support. Under California law, reserve firefighters, police officers, and rescue personnel have the right to take leave from work. To help respond to the fires, as do National Guard, who are called to state active duty, I encourage employers across the state to support employees who are selfless enough to put their lives on the line to serve and save our communities. I urge everyone in the greater LA area to please pay attention to official alerts, red flag warnings, and evacuation orders. That will keep you safe. Please monitor trusted and official resources like Los Angeles County, LA County Sheriff, and LA Police Department, social media channels, the California Office of Emergency Services and California Fire social media channels and websites as well. Again, go to the official sites. Our law enforcement officials and first responders top priority is your safety. So when you hear that siren or get the mandatory evacuation notice, please comply, please comply immediately. And don't wait until the last minute. If you think you might need to leave, pack *** bag and collect your things now, so you're ready if the time comes. There are many things in your home that are very valuable to you and I understand that. But nearly everything in your home is replaceable. You are not. Your family is not. Keep yourself and your loved ones and your family safe. Finally, I want to remind our immigrant communities that they are welcome at shelters. Regardless of immigration status. My office has put out guidance and model policies to assist California shelters and ensure they do their part to protect the rights of immigrants and their families. This guidance can be found at our website at OAG.A.gov/resources. I want to end with this, Californians are resilient. California is strong. We are strong, especially when, as now we stand united. We will get through this. LA will get through this. Together. And we will rebuild and we will heal. California DOJ is here ready, willing, able to support Angelenos and local law enforcement and local officials in any and every way we can. We are at your service. I will come back at the end to answer questions if there are any, uh, but for now, please allow me to welcome Supervisor of Horvath to say *** few words.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.kcra.com/article/california-attorney-general-rob-bonta-price-gouging-scams-la-wildfires/63400353
Published and (C) by Common Dreams
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0..
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/commondreams/
