In the past year, the HP Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud team stopped the potential sale of 54,000 counterfeit toner and ink cartridges in Nigeria, the largest seizure in Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2020.
The team also confiscated over 4.5 million fraudulent print products, parts and components – including large numbers of ink and toner cartridges – in raids across EMEA, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
HP said in a statement on Monday the fraud team had seized one million illegitimate print supplies and delisted over 135,000 online offers in the EMEA.
According to the company, the seizures took place between November 2019 and October 2020, with COVID-19 creating challenges in the battle against fake print supplies around the world.
The company noted that e-commerce had become intensely exploited as consumers and businesses turned to online shopping. The HP team identified and delisted 224,000 illegitimate ink and toner offers online.
The statement said, “Between government shutdowns, labour shortages, and changes in custom control priorities, criminal networks have adjusted their strategies to take advantage of the evolving landscape.
“HP’s ACF team had to quickly adapt to find new ways to protect its customers from these illicit e-traders – leading to 224,000 de-listings of counterfeit cartridges from online marketplaces.”
Throughout 2020, the HP ACF team said it carried out over 1,700 Customer Delivery Inspections and Channel Partner Protection Audits across all regions.
It also noted that toner cartridges continued to be the highest counterfeit item, accounting for over 75 per cent of the seizure value in FY20.
The Head of HP’s Global Anti-Counterfeiting Programme, Glenn Jones, urged Information Technology decision makers to remain vigilant and wary of cheap office products flooding the market that could be fakes, especially with employees returning to the office.
– Punch