Beware of toner fraud: how to distinguish scammers from authorised dealers
10/08/2026
Criminals and fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Scammers try to steal money from unsuspecting businesses by posing as authorised Konica Minolta dealers. They may sound knowledgeable and try to entice you with attractive discounts. Fortunately, being aware of these practices can help you protect your business.
The risks associated with these fraudulent practices are twofold. On the one hand, your company may suffer financial losses. On the other hand, orders placed with criminals may never be delivered, or deliveries may contain inferior counterfeit products. As a result, you could run out of toner or even damage your devices, potentially disrupting your business operations.
For example, they may refer to previous orders or specific devices. This information may have been obtained through a security breach, or it may simply be a lucky guess. In some cases, they may have contacted your company previously, perhaps speaking to a colleague and asking seemingly insignificant questions about your printer fleet. Armed with this information, they can then try to convince you that they are a legitimate supplier.
Whether they contact you by phone, email, through an advertisement or via a fraudulent listing on an online marketplace, criminals will often try to persuade you to place an order by offering particularly attractive prices and discounts. You may then receive fraudulent invoices requesting payment.
It is equally possible that you pay for an order but never receive anything at all. Either way, you are left with a problem. Konica Minolta invests considerable time and resources in developing high-quality and environmentally responsible toner. Counterfeit products do not meet the same high standards. This can negatively affect both print quality and the performance of your devices.
Purchase consumables exclusively from Konica Minolta or authorised dealers. Only buy toner from suppliers whose credentials you can verify.
Do not respond to unsolicited phone calls or emails requesting payment. Never provide details about your printer fleet unless you are completely certain who you are communicating with. This information could later be used to make fraudulent calls or emails appear more convincing.
Make sure your employees are aware of toner and printer fraud. They should also remain vigilant when receiving emails or phone calls asking questions about your printers or consumables.
Have you received suspicious communication? Contact Konica Minolta via info@konicaminolta.be. You should also report attempted fraud to the appropriate authorities. In Belgium, suspicious emails can be forwarded to suspicious@safeonweb.be. By reporting suspicious activity, you can help prevent fraud from spreading.
By remaining vigilant and taking the right precautions, you can protect yourself and your business against toner fraud. This helps ensure that you receive high-quality consumables, keeps your printer fleet operational and prevents financial losses caused by fraudulent practices.
Criminals and fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Scammers try to steal money from unsuspecting businesses by posing as authorised Konica Minolta dealers. They may sound knowledgeable and try to entice you with attractive discounts. Fortunately, being aware of these practices can help you protect your business.
Toner fraud is a real threat
The risk is not merely theoretical. Criminal organisations around the world and across Europe are already posing as printer specialists. Nor is this technique new. Even before 2010, there were reports of scammers attempting to sell toner to unsuspecting businesses, including companies in Belgium and the Netherlands.The risks associated with these fraudulent practices are twofold. On the one hand, your company may suffer financial losses. On the other hand, orders placed with criminals may never be delivered, or deliveries may contain inferior counterfeit products. As a result, you could run out of toner or even damage your devices, potentially disrupting your business operations.
Gaining your trust
Scammers use various methods to commit printer and toner fraud. They often pose as authorised Konica Minolta dealers and use different techniques to make themselves appear credible.For example, they may refer to previous orders or specific devices. This information may have been obtained through a security breach, or it may simply be a lucky guess. In some cases, they may have contacted your company previously, perhaps speaking to a colleague and asking seemingly insignificant questions about your printer fleet. Armed with this information, they can then try to convince you that they are a legitimate supplier.
Advertisements and discounts
Scammers may also approach potential victims through advertisements or online marketplaces. After all, the monitoring of goods sold through large online platforms is not always foolproof. In 2025, for example, Amazon and eBay removed 2.3 million fraudulent product listings.Whether they contact you by phone, email, through an advertisement or via a fraudulent listing on an online marketplace, criminals will often try to persuade you to place an order by offering particularly attractive prices and discounts. You may then receive fraudulent invoices requesting payment.
Counterfeit toner
In the best-case scenario, you may actually receive something, although it may not be what you ordered. Fraudsters produce counterfeit toner and ship it in packaging that may appear authentic at first glance. A closer inspection, however, will often reveal that something is wrong. The logo may not be quite right, for example, or the printing on the box may be misaligned. Here you can find examples of counterfeit toner compared with genuine packaging.It is equally possible that you pay for an order but never receive anything at all. Either way, you are left with a problem. Konica Minolta invests considerable time and resources in developing high-quality and environmentally responsible toner. Counterfeit products do not meet the same high standards. This can negatively affect both print quality and the performance of your devices.
How to protect your business
Once you are aware that this type of fraud exists, there are several steps you can take to protect your business.Purchase consumables exclusively from Konica Minolta or authorised dealers. Only buy toner from suppliers whose credentials you can verify.
Do not respond to unsolicited phone calls or emails requesting payment. Never provide details about your printer fleet unless you are completely certain who you are communicating with. This information could later be used to make fraudulent calls or emails appear more convincing.
Make sure your employees are aware of toner and printer fraud. They should also remain vigilant when receiving emails or phone calls asking questions about your printers or consumables.
Have you received suspicious communication? Contact Konica Minolta via info@konicaminolta.be. You should also report attempted fraud to the appropriate authorities. In Belgium, suspicious emails can be forwarded to suspicious@safeonweb.be. By reporting suspicious activity, you can help prevent fraud from spreading.
By remaining vigilant and taking the right precautions, you can protect yourself and your business against toner fraud. This helps ensure that you receive high-quality consumables, keeps your printer fleet operational and prevents financial losses caused by fraudulent practices.