In the past year, HP has confiscated more than 3.5 million fraudulent print products, parts, and components – including large numbers of ink and toner cartridges.

Between November 2020 and October 2021, the HP Anti-Counterfeit and Fraud (ACF) team has confiscated 646,000 counterfeit print products across EMEA, an additional 400,000 across the Americas, and a further 2.5 million across the APAC region.

“Counterfeiters are increasingly turning to the online space to sell their fraudulent wares,” said Guillaume Gerardin, global head and general manager of print supplies at HP. “As a result, it’s becoming more difficult for customers to identify counterfeit cartridges at the point of purchase. This is why it’s so important that HP continues to work with online marketplaces to help spot and remove listings for counterfeit products, as well as track down the source of these goods.”

HP says it has increased its online de-listings by 19% year-over-year as the company says that “Bad actors” have made a marked shift to online trading of counterfeit supplies. A trend that has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and impacted HP’s ability to collaborate closely with law enforcement.

HP moved identification measures online and introduced virtual Customer Delivery Inspections (CDIs) and Channel Partner Protection Audits (CPPAs). In total 1,191 CPPAs were conducted, up 11% from the previous year. The virtual inspections and audits enabled the ACF team to identify and delist over 224,000 illegitimate HP online offers globally.