Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on Thursday warned gas stations in the state against taking advantage of people affected by Hurricane Harvey, saying his office received more than 500 complaints of high gas prices around the state.

The complaints alleged that gas stations in Dallas, a city on the edge of the storm’s radius, were charging between $6 and $8 per gallon of gasoline, according to the attorney general’s statement. 

“Texas law protects consumers from fraud in Dallas and other parts of Texas outside of the governor’s declared disaster areas,” said the office’s communications director, Marc Rylander.

{mosads}“If Dallas consumers are victims of fraud by gas stations, we urge them to contact our agency’s consumer protection hotline so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.”

Aside from actions by individual gas stations, federal officials say the powerful storm has also stalled oil production and refinement in the Gulf of Mexico, likely causing continued price increases on gasoline.

On Sunday, it was reported that the state had lost nearly 2.2 million barrels per day in refining capacity, after major oil companies including Exxon Mobil Corp., Valero and Shell were forced to halt operations in the weatherbeaten area.

The attorney general’s office encouraged people to file complaints to its Consumer Protection Division who may be victims of fraud, and urged that people send photos of gas receipts as evidence.