$6 Million of Fake HP Cartridges Seized in India

$6 Million of Fake HP Cartridges Seized in India

HP has claimed counterfeit goods worth USD 6 million were seized by the authorities between November 2019 and July 2020 in India. HP worked with local authorities to conduct 78 raids which resulted in 68 arrests.

According to The New Indian Express, more than 10,000 websites selling counterfeit ink and toner printing supplies have been de-listed as part of its efforts to curb the fraudulent printing supplies in India.

These latest raids follow raids in December 2019 in Delhi (which lead the nation in terms of seizure value), Mumbai and Chennai.

HP India said counterfeiters had moved focus to online platforms after the COVID-19-induced lockdowns.

“During this period, the HP 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 the details with relevant authorities and a result more than 10,000 online websites selling counterfeits were identified and de-listed,” it said in a statement.

Websites that were selling counterfeit products were asked to remove all counterfeit HP products.

HP regularly conducts audits and cooperates with law enforcement agencies to conduct raids to reduce counterfeits in the supply chain to protect customers and businesses, it added.

“As a result of this co-operation, counterfeit goods worth USD 6 million (about Rs 45 crore) were seized by the respective authorities between November 2019 and July 2020. The authorities also made a total of 78 raids during this period, which resulted in 68 arrests,” it said.

There was a single raid on a syndicate in Mumbai, where seizures in excess of USD 3 million (about Rs 22.5 crore) were made, it noted.

The HP ACF programme also works closely with e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, and Shopclues to only allow authorised partners to sell genuine products.

This process helps reduce the risk of customers and partners unintentionally purchasing counterfeit ink and toner supplies as they work, learn, and earn from home and remote locations, it said.

HP said the use of unlawful counterfeit supplies can result in printer damage, malfunctions, and printer hardware warranties becoming void, and it can result in lost revenue and unnecessary downtime for consumers and businesses that many cannot afford, it explained.

HP said apart from assisting the authorities in seizing the non-genuine goods, it also invests heavily on security features for its ink and toner supplies on its cartridge packaging to indicate if the contents are legitimate.

Related:

• HP Cracks Down on Fake Supplies in South-East Asia
• American Media Spreads More Fake China Industry News
• Police Raid Fake HP Cartridges in Turkey
• Indian Police Discover Fake Cartridge Scheme
• Amazon Steps Up to Keep Fighting Counterfeits
• HP Fights Counterfeit Cartridges in Africa

Comment:

Please add your comments below about this news story, “$6 Million of Fake HP Cartridges Seized in India.”