The scam before the storm comes in the form of price gouging, illegally jacking up the cost of goods and services at the time they’re needed most. Once the storm has passed, the scammers move on to a new tactic: Pretending they’ve come to help. Federal, state and local officials wants consumers to know it’s against the law. But price gougers and scammers are counting on their customers to be too busy or worried to notice or do something about it. Water, food staples such as rice, cereal, snacks and baby formula are all among the products that are vulnerable to price gouging. Gasoline, expensive enough to begin with, is also subject to unscrupulous price hikes. The Broward State Attorney’s Office issued a warning to consumers as Hurricane Milton drew closer to shore, offering the Florida Attorney General’s gouging hotline at 1-866-966-7226 for people to report merchants exploiting the storm for easy money. The Federal Trade Commission is also collecting reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement of her own Wednesday warning that the danger of gouging and scamming does not go away once the storm passes. “Those evacuating before Hurricane Milton or recovering from Hurricane Helene should not be subject to illegal price gouging or fraud at the pump, airport or hotel counter,” she said, promising the Biden Administration will hold offenders accountable for taking advantage of desperate consumers. The Justice Department is part of that effort. “Companies are on notice: do not use the hurricane as an excuse to exploit people through illegal behavior,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. Once the storm passes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency warns consumers to beware of businesses pretending to offer recovery assistance for a fee. Genuine aid providers from the government will never charge for their services, and workers must carry identification verifying their association with FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security or the Small Business Administration. FEMA also encourages those affected by the storm to rely on local, trusted media and police agencies. Rafael Olmeda can be reached at [email protected] or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Threads.net/@rafael.olmeda.