New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS): HP India's anti-counterfeiting and fraud (ACF) programme which helps combat the production, distribution, and sale of counterfeit ink and toner printing supplies in the region has helped identify and delist 10,000 online websites selling counterfeits, the company said on Tuesday.

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.

As a result of this co-operation, counterfeit goods worth Rs 45 crore were seized by the authorities between November 2019 and July 2020, the company said.

Of note was a single raid on a syndicate in Mumbai, where seizures in excess of Rs 22.5 crore were made.

The authorities made a total of 78 raids during this period, which resulted in 68 arrests.

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

Counterfeit ink and toner print supplies pose a serious threat to consumers and businesses alike.

The use of unlawful counterfeit supplies can result in printer damage, malfunctions, and printer hardware warranties becoming void.

More importantly, it can result in lost revenue and unnecessary downtime for consumers and businesses that many cannot afford.