This is not question but a warning to all companies of a scam relating to the Data Protection Act. We were nearly caught out by it.

If you receive a letter from the Data Processing Protection Corporation claiming that their records indicate that your business is not registered under the Data Protection Act and wanting a fee of £95, DO NOT ACTION IT. It looks very official and comes in an official looking envelope, but it is a con. Please report the matter straight to your local Police and Trading Standards. I understand having spoken to the Office of the Information Commissioner that the police and trading standards are very interested in the activities of this and about 40 other companies working this scam.

Please ensure your accounts and IT departments are aware of this scam.

The correct fee is £35 and the Office of the Information Commissioner will tell you for nothing if you are correctly registered and provide the forms if you telephone their offices.


Iain Young