LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) -- As the number of coronavirus cases rise, some sanitizing and household products are flying off Louisville store shelves. At the same time, con artists are preying on people's fear to cheat them out of money.
"The hand sanitizer was gone. The Purell was gone. Toilet paper in a lot of places was gone. To me it's sort of crazy," shopper Jane Chilton said.Â
Bobby Henderson, who helps manage the Valu Market in the Highlands, said that in his 33 years in the grocery business, he has never seen anything like it.
The store is out of hand sanitizer, larger containers of Clorox wipes and masks.
"Never have I seen wipes empty out like this has," Henderson said.
Once the first case of novel coronavirus was confirmed in Kentucky, people flooded into the store to buy sanitizing products, he said.
"It's crazy. I mean I understand people are worried, but you wouldn't think the product would be moving that quick here," Henderson said.Â
Jane Chilton
Chilton said she worries about hoarding.
"I'm afraid it's all going to be gone. You know when maybe we are just hoarding it when we don't need to," she said.Â
Other stores are also letting customers know certain products are in high demand. Recently, Kroger informed customers it would limit customers' purchases of water, shelf stable food and cleaning products.
The Better Business Bureau and the Kentucky Attorney General are asking you to watch for and report price gouging.
"You've really got to be cautious especially when this fear is up." Reanna Smith-Hamblin, president/CEO of Louisville's BBB.Â
The BBB says to also be aware of scammers who claim to have a "miracle cure" for COVID-19. Also, be careful what you click on because con artists are pretending to be with the Centers with Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization to get your personal information.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Kentuckians should report suspected price gouging to the Consumer Protection Hotline at 888-432-9257.
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