BUSINESSES in Halton are warned to be on their guard after alleged scams involving the Data Protection Act have resurfaced more than a year after they were first identified.

The scheme involves letters sent to companies telling them that they must immediately pay a £135 fee to register under the Data Protection Act or face stiff penalties.

In fact, the real of cost of registering with the information commissioner is just £35 per year and for many businesses registration is entirely unnecessary.

Last year the Weekly News warned readers about the mailshot, but now Lib Dem North West MEP Chris Davies claims the letters are winging their way to businesses in Widnes and Runcorn once again.

He claims the scheme, which has been to trading standards officers across the North West region, relies on people's confusion about what their obligations are under the Data Protection Act.

The Data Protection Act 1998 requires businesses that are processing personal data to notify the Information Commissioner but exemptions include business which only process personal data for staff administration, advertising or accounting purposes.

Mr Davies said: 'The organisations involved are not breaking the law if they pass on the data to the Information Commissioner, but the amount demanded is unjustified.

'It is a clever ruse that can easily catch out the unaware and make £100 a time for the con artist. Trading Standards officers can only act if misleading claims are made so its important for people to be alert.'

Halton business and individuals have been bombarded by scams and con tricks of every imaginable kind from Nigerian 'investment schemes' asking people to sign over large amounts of cash to competition 'winners' being asked to pay £25 'registration fees'.

In January the Weekly News told how Widnes security firm boss George Mensah may have blown the lid off an international Internetbased fraud racket which involved emails being sent out to LLoyds TSB customers asking for confirmation of bank account details.

George immediately recognised the scheme as dubious because of a missing letter 's' on an Internet shortcut and contacted the bank which swiftly put out nationwide warnings that they would never ask for account details in that way.

But George, one of Noble Security's business partners, said people who were unaware that they were being targeted by fraud-sters could easily have fallen prey to the scam.

An investigation resulted in the bank contacting the FBI and the US-based operators were closed down.

It emerged that the information was being directed to the culprits computer and being used to fraudulently obtain money from the victims' bank accounts.