Counterfeiting in the printing supplies business means the manufacturing, refilling or (“reman”) remanufacturing of a print cartridge with the intention to market it in a way that suggests it is an original brand name product. This usually involves putting a reman or refill into a box that closely resembles genuine HP packaging, which can deceive customers into paying a higher price for a fraudulent product.

Fraud is an act of deceiving or misrepresenting by presenting an intentional perversion of the truth intended to induce a person to part with something of value, usually money. While fraud can occur without the presence of counterfeit products, counterfeiting itself is a form of fraud.

Consistent, high quality prints
when you purchase genuine HP supplies, you get quality and proven reliability with consistently clear and sharp outputs.

Trouble-free printing
HP print cartridges deliver guaranteed performance – no fuss or frustration from unwanted leakage or messy printouts. Backed by our reliable warranty, HP ensures your printing experience is always hassle-free and enjoyable.

Technology behind perfect printouts
With 70% of the printing system’s critical components in the print cartridge, you can be sure that if you’re not using HP printing supplies, you’re not getting HP printing.

Peace of mind
Dedicated to quality in design and manufacturing, HP stands behind our products with a continued commitment to customer satisfaction that has lasted over 60 years.

Packaging

• Check if the HP logo is present and authentic.
• Check for signs of reproduction and flush surfaces on the outer images.
• Ensure the security seal is authentic.

Quality

• Poor, inconsistent print quality indicates that you may have obtained counterfeit HP print cartridges.
• Counterfeit products fail prematurely. With a failure rate of less than one in every hundred, HP print cartridges remain some of the most reliable around the world.

Price

• HP does not sell customers heavily discounted print supplies or conduct factory surplus sales.

Deceptive marketing

• HP does not market print supplies by phone. Beware if people call you claiming that they are HP employees or affiliates and try to sell you their products.
• Watch out for ‘free’ product offers or evaluations provided by some vendors. They may oblige you to purchase later, which can cost you more in the end.
• Think twice before engaging with vendors that are unwilling to provide customer references on the products they are selling.

Be wary of the following offers:

• Better prices than those offered by recognized HP distributors
• Limited part-number availability
• Cash-on-delivery requirements
• Fire sales, auctions, etc.
• Repackaged products

HP is committed to our customers and will vigorously defend the trust invested in HP quality and reliability. We will protect our customers and investigate any reports of fraudulent products with appropriate legal action.

Click here to report any questionable activities related to counterfeit cartridges. Report counterfeit

Any personal information provided to HP is considered confidential and will not be shared externally during our investigations. HP will only respond to your submission if additional information is needed to conduct an investigation. HP does not provide warranty support or product replacement for counterfeit cartridges.

HP places security labels on its inkjet and toner cartridge packaging in many parts of the world to help customers identify authentic Original HP cartridges and avoid purchasing counterfeits. These security labels contain sophisticated visual features (such as holographs and QR codes) that are hard for counterfeiters to copy. And now, with HP Mobile Authentication, customers can easily authenticate the newest security seal by validating the code on the label using their smartphone or a special HP website.

For many years, HP has placed a security label on cartridge packaging to assist customers in differentiating Original HP cartridges from counterfeits. By their nature, counterfeit products are intended to deceive customers into believing that a product is genuine. HP security labels are designed with unique visual differentiations that are nearly impossible to reproduce in counterfeit.

HP’s most recent version of the security label for ink and toner products features HP Mobile Authentication, which allows customers to either capture a unique serial number on the label using a Quick Response (QR) code reader on their smartphone or enter the serial number into the HP Mobile Authentication website before they purchase or open the cartridge. In either case, customers receive an immediate online response from HP regarding the label’s validity.

Simply put, a QR code is a Quick Response barcode. QR codes can be encoded with text, a URL, or other data and decoded at high-speed by smartphones with built-in cameras. The QR codes on the new HP security seals contain serial numbers to allow quick verification of product authenticity.

1. Go to your smartphone’s app store.
2. Select the QR code scanner app of your choice.
3. Download and install the app on your smartphone.

1. Go to hp.com/go/ok
2. Follow the instructions to visually inspect the label.
3. Enter the serial number from the label.
4. HP will verify if the product is genuine HP.

In addition to comparing the visual properties of the label on HP cartridge packaging to the descriptions provided by HP, HP Mobile Authentication allows customers to capture a unique code on the label. The code can be validated by using the QR code reader on a smartphone or by accessing the HP Mobile Authentication website from any Web-connected device. To use HP Mobile Authentication, first scan the QR code with your smartphone. If the label is valid, you’ll receive immediate confirmation from HP that the cartridge is safe for purchase. Invalid labels generate a warning message and a link to HP’s anti-counterfeit information website for more information.

If you don’t have the ability to scan QR codes, you can still validate the label before you open the box. Just enter the serial number listed on the security label at the HP Mobile Authentication website: http://www.hp.com/go/ok

To avoid buying counterfeits, it is most effective to use HP Mobile Authentication prior to purchasing a cartridge, but HP Mobile Authentication can be used after the purchase with any device with a Web browser or QR code reader that is connected to the Internet. NOTE: The HP Mobile Authentication program is available only with security labels that feature the QR code.

Customers can validate security labels with QR codes using any Internet-connected device with a web browser or QR code reader, including smartphones or desktop or notebook computers. To read the QR code, customers can use any QR code reader application available for smartphone or tablet devices. Customers can also download the HP eSupplies app, which is optimized for HP QR codes and HP Mobile Authentication. The HP eSupplies app is available for iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod Touch® from the iTunes App Store.

HP does not charge customers to check security labels on cartridge packaging using HP Mobile Authentication. Since HP Mobile Authentication transfers information using the Internet connection on a smartphone or PC, the standard Internet connection rate per your wireless carrier or Internet provider will apply. HP Mobile Authentication requires a minimal amount of data usage to validate a cartridge. Users with a pay-per-use data plan should expect charges similar to visiting other websites.