Authorities have seized counterfeit goods worth US$6 million, between November 2019 and July 2020, and delisted more than 10,000 websites for selling counterfeits, says HP India. This is part of its Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud (ACF) programme which helps combat the production, distribution and sale of fake ink and toner printing supplies in the region.
HP, in an official statement, said the ACF team kept vigil on e-purchases and this online surveillance resulted in the identification of websites dealing in counterfeit goods. The HP ACF program shared details with relevant authorities and as a result more than 10,000 online websites selling counterfeits were identified and de-listed.
Through this programme, HP aims to create awareness about the scale and severity of fraudulent printing supplies market in India. Moreover, HP regularly conducts audits and cooperates with law enforcement agencies to conduct raids to reduce conunterfeits in the supply chain to protect customers and businesses. As a result of this cooperation, fake goods worth US$6 million were seized by the respective authorities between November 2019 and July 2020, it said and highlighted that authorities also made a total of 78 raids during the period.
Besides assisting authoriti in seizing the fake goods, HP also invests heavily on security features for its ink and toner supplies on its cartridge packaging to indicate if the contents are legitimate. It explained that the use of fake supplies can result in printer damage, malfunctions and printer hardware warranties becoming void. Futhermore, it can result in lost revenue and unnecessary downtime for consumers and businesses than many cannot afford.
The computer giant’s anti-counterfeiting and fraud programme also works closely with e-commerce platforms with the likes of Flipkart, Amazon and Shopclues to allow authorized partners to sell genuine products. HP said customers can request a customer delivery inspection (CDI), if they suspect they suspect the item to be a fake.
