Governor Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James Urge New Yorkers to Remain Vigilant Regarding Potential Price Gouging on Essential Goods

Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James today urged residents and visitors to remain vigilant against price gouging in the wake of heightened geopolitical tensions and conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Iran, that could threaten supply chains for essential goods. Recent global events may result in halted or delayed shipping that could affect U.S. imports and lead to unfair or excessive pricing for consumers. This could include food, pharmaceuticals, gasoline and other consumer goods.

“Following U.S. military action in Iran, New York is stepping up to protect our residents from the too-frequent occurrence of consumer exploitation during emergencies or abnormal market disruptions,” Governor Hochul said. “I am calling on all New Yorkers to report price gouging on essential products from gasoline to groceries to ensure that we are holding unscrupulous actors accountable.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “There is no excuse for unfairly raising prices of essential goods and services that New Yorkers depend on. With sudden increases in oil prices poised to drive up costs for New Yorkers, I am encouraging everyone to be on the lookout for unreasonable price hikes and report price gouging to my office.”

New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “While events overseas are beyond New York’s control, they can affect the price of food and fuel costs. However, there is no excuse for businesses to take advantage of these circumstances to unfairly inflate prices. We encourage New Yorkers to help protect themselves and others by reporting suspected price gouging so that it can be investigated and appropriate action can be taken.”

Consumers who believe they have encountered excessively high prices are encouraged to document the incident with receipts or photos and file a complaint with the New York State Attorney General’s office. To file a complaint, fill out the price gouging complaint form.