I like to be a responsible internet citizen, and so when an email manages to get past Google's spam filter that's potentially dangerous, I'm all over it. Most of the time it's some phishing scam requesting personal details for a bank I haven't got an account with, but occasionally I get one that makes me double take. Today it was BT.

I've reported probably hundreds of scam emails over the years, and even in 2002 they'd worked out that the fastest way to process phishing reports was to provide an easy way of getting the report, like being able to forward the suspect looking mail to a dedicated mailing address.

BT, on the other hand, have decided that the best way to deal with phishing scams is make it hard to report, so they never get any.

So the process goes like this:

1. Receive phishing scam. Stare at it a bit, wonder how many people would fall for something that begins “Dear Valued Customer”.
2. Rummage around on the BT site, eventually finding an explanation of how to get the raw headers (cunningly disguised as a “how to report phishing” link), and then right at the bottom, there's a link which takes you to the generic Contact BT page.
3. Attempt to fill in Contact BT page.
4. lol at the complete failure of BT to recognise that phishing reports a) will not necessarily come from their customers and b) they're not about a bloody phone number.

I don't care if my account is linked with a report on phishing. Hell, I would do it anonymously if it would speed the process up. The key thing is to get the information over to the company to track back and deal with.

Honestly though, I don't know why these phishers don't just go ask Facebook for the information.

Identity theft: coming your way in 2010.

PS: I love the fact that despite all of the privacy problems and criticisms, those sites still have Facebook links on them and implore you to join a group here, or follow them there. Note to self, must close Facebook account.