Nokia News: Friday 24.3.2006

Nokia begins to examine confiscated mobile phones
HS picture caption causes concern - phones bought from authorised dealers are safe
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Mobile telephone manufacturer Nokia began on Thursday to examine the mobile telephones, believed to be counterfeit versions of a Nokia model, that were stopped at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport recently. Finnish customs authorities sent a sampling of the confiscated phones to Nokia. Suspicions of the customs authorities were aroused by the odd delivery route. A total of 1,600 suspected counterfeit versions of the Nokia 1100 model were flown from Hong Kong to Finland via Russia. From Helsinki they were to have been driven by lorry to Moscow. Customs officials at the airport felt that the phones were probably forgeries, because they had been packed in an unusual manner in bundles of five inside pink plastic. They also claimed to have suspiciously many countries of origin. The handsets themselves were labelled "Made in Hungary", while the bags that they were in had stickers indicating that they manufactured in Finland. The suspected pirated phones were packed in large cardboard boxes without chargers or instructions for use. "Nokia does not transport phones like this. They are always packed in sales boxes, which include a charger and instructions", says customs official Veijo Mäntylä at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. News reports of counterfeit mobile phones caused concern among owners of Nokia phones on Thursday. Retailers said that they had been contacted by many customers. Some even showed up at shops in person to get assurances that their phones are the real thing. The greatest concern was caused by a picture caption in Helsingin Sanomat, in which the Nokia 1100 model was shown with the 1101 model, which has more features. This made many customers worry that their 1100 model Nokia phones might not be genuine. The wrong handset was brought to the Helsingin Sanomat photographer by customs authorities. It is not possible to tell if the phones are pirated versions on the basis of outward appearance alone. "If there is reason to suspect that the product is not the original one, the genuineness can be tested only at an authorised repair shop, which can investigate the matter with the help of the phone's IMEI code", says Nokia head of communications Riitta Mård. She said that the best way to guarantee that a mobile phone is genuine is to buy it from an authorised retailer.
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