The HR sector received a stark warning to avoid being misled by bogus agencies who continue to send notices demanding money to register under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, said: “The golden rule is that if you receive a letter out of the blue demanding more than £35 to register under the DPA this will be a scam.

“Over the past two years these scams have cost British business many thousands of pounds.

“Though the number of businesses who are being caught out has gone down, it is a matter of concern that some businesses are still being ripped-off. My office still receives over 2,000 calls a month from anxious businesses.”