UNDATED (AP)- Across a country where some shelves are empty and patience is thin, authorities are receiving a surge of reports about people trying to cash in on the coronavirus crisis with outrageous prices, phony cures and other scams. An Associated Press survey of attorneys generals in all 50 states found the number of complaints has already exceeded 5,000. One store advertised hand sanitizer at $60 a bottle. Chain stores were accused of selling $26 thermometers and face masks at $39.95 a pair, while a convenience store offered toilet paper at $10 a roll alongside a sign reading, “This is not a joke.”
To file a complaint, contact the South Dakota Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986, or email consumerhelp@state.sd.us. You can also visit the website at www.consumer.sd.gov.
