The General Services Administration (GSA) says it has received reports of companies fraudulently claiming to be GSA vendors attempting to exploit legitimate COVID-19 concerns to mislead Federal consumers into paying exorbitant prices for products associated with COVID-19.
If a supplier claims to be a GSA vendor, GSA advises buyers to verify their status by checking prices and details on GSA Advantage or validate the contract number and supplier details on GSA eLibrary vendor database.
In a bulletin posted on March 19, 2020, GSA advises: “Even if information seems credible, take a moment to verify.”
In addition to worries about possible scams, there are product availability issues. Evidence of this is the recent message posted on the GSA Advantage website: “Due to current heightened demand for products which could be associated with COVID-19, please contact the vendor(s) prior to placing your order to confirm availability.”
Questions or reports of suspect fraudulent activity or price gouging with companies claiming to be GSA vendors, can be directed to GSA’s National Customer Service Center at (800) 488-3111 or via email to NCSCcustomer.service@gsa.gov.
