FRANKFORT, Ky. – Attorney General Daniel Cameron, R-Kentucky, issued subpoenas to six third-party sellers in Kentucky who Amazon and allegedly were trying to price-gouge consumers.

The sellers allegedly engaged in the price gouging of emergency and medical supplies, including hand sanitizer and N95 respirator masks. Some sellers raised the price of these items by as much as 1,951 percent.

“Kentuckians who purchase essential medical and emergency supplies should feel confident that they are not being taken advantage of because of the health crisis,” said Cameron. “The egregious actions of these third-party sellers will not be tolerated in Kentucky, and the subpoenas we issued should serve as a warning to anyone who tries to illegally profit from COVID-19. I am grateful to Amazon for working with us to stop these predatory practices by third-party sellers.”

Amazon worked with Cameron to identify the top price gougers in Kentucky. Over half of the sellers were served with cease and desist orders, and investigations are continuing. Kentucky's price gouging laws went into effect in early March.

If you suspect price gouging there are some ways to report the issues:

The Attorney General can seek restitution for victims of price gouging and may seek civil penalties against sellers of up to $25,000 for multiple price gouging violations within 24 hours.