ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – State officials are warning New Yorkers about price gouging.

Governor Kathy Hochul is urging residents to remain vigilant against predatory business practices in the wake of rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

The conflict could lead to halted or delayed shipping of imports, potentially driving up prices on goods, including food, medicine, and gas.

“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,” said Hochul. “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 echoed the sentiment.

“There is no excuse for unfairly raising prices of essential goods and services that New Yorkers depend on,” said James. “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.”

If you believe you have encountered excessively high prices, document it with receipts and photos, and file a complaint here.