HP partners authorities in Uganda for double raid on counterfeit print supplies

HP and Ugandan authorities recently conducted a highly successful operation that put to a stop the trade of counterfeit HP branded print cartridges in in the Kampala area.

Ugandan officials carried out a massive double raid, successfully disrupting the criminal dealings of two large scale retailers of counterfeit HP print cartridges. Several premises were targeted as part of the raid, including extensive outlet stores and a hidden manufacturing site for fakes. As a result, the authorities seized over 18,000 ready-for-sale illicit print cartridges.

“HP commends the cooperation and swift action of Ugandan officials and their determination to apprehend and prosecute counterfeiters who break the law. We are proud of our continued work to bring counterfeiters to justice, not only in Africa but throughout the world,” said Glenn Jones, Global Anti-Counterfeiting Program Investigations & Enforcement Operations Manager, HP. “Through our unwavering efforts and commitment to removing counterfeit products from the market, we continue to focus on the protection of our customers through our Anti Counterfeiting and Fraud Programme.”

Counterfeiting is a crime. For users, such illegal imitations can cause a multitude of problems that can cause performance and reliability issues. Should your printer break as a result of using counterfeit printer ink or toner, you could also have issues with your manufacturer’s warranty becoming not applicable.

In contrast, original HP products are designed to meet HP’s strict quality and reliability standards, based on a long history of inventing and testing. Original HP LaserJet and HP InkJet cartridges, unlike counterfeits, benefit from superior performance and consistent results.

Across EMEA over the last five years, approximately 12 million counterfeits and components have been seized by local authorities, supported by HP. HP has conducted over 4,500 audits and inspections (CPPAs and CDIs) of partners’ stocks or suspicious deliveries for customers.

Through HP’s Anti Counterfeiting and Fraud (ACF) Programme, the company actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with local and global law enforcement authorities to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.

Here are 4 ways to spot fake cartridges:

Authenticate using your smartphone

Step 1

Locate your HP security seal and open your QR code scanner app. If you don’t have a QR code scanner, you can use our HP SureSupply app.Step 2

Use your smartphone’s camera to scan the QR code on the cartridge’s security seal. After your scanner processes the QR code, you’ll see a validation screen from HP.

Tamper Evident Label with enhanced security feature

Look for these 3 tell-tale signs that your cartridge may have been tampered with:

The lines in the pattern do not match
The label is colored rather than transparent
The text changes on the label to show ‘seal is void’

For an additional check, the HP logos in the blue strip should always show:

“HP logo” and “√” move in opposite directions when tilting the box top to bottom.
“HP logo” and “√” move in the same direction when tilting the box left to right.

New Security labels

While the fight against counterfeiters is ongoing, the new version of the HP security labels will offer brand protection that HP customers can depend on.