This is really, really real

Attention blog reader: In order to continue on, you will need to give this blog your credit card number, pin number, account number, name, address and photos of you naked. If you don't send this, your account will be closed. Also, this is really a real thing. It's really, really real. Don't ignore it, or you might die. Kidding. You will die. Because we'll kill you. With guns. Which we have.We have lots of guns. Just sitting around the office here. From where I'm sitting there are, like, seven guns. Plus all the ones that are hidden. So don't screw around with us. Thanks!

So it wasn't that bad, but in my inbox today I found a happy message said to be from Verizon Broadband, which I have never used, informing my that I needed to click a link and give them a lot of information -- including my pin number -- to move my account to a new server. Why? Because, according to the e-mail, their number of customers "growed up" in December. So they have new servers. And I need to verify my account. And it's all so totally real. How real is it? So real that they even have an image of the Verizon logo. Real, baby.

And the link to the Web site, shown as "https://www22.verizon.com/myaccount," actually goes to another address that's clearly not Verizon. But don't worry. Because when you click on it, it takes you to an address that looks like Verizon. Also, they have logos.

Here is their helpful e-mail in full:

Thank you for choosing Verizon^TM. Unfortunately there was a problem processing your billing information for the month of December, 2006. Soon we have changing some servers in our data base for a new service for our customers. Our number of clients has been growed up very much last month and for that, was necesary a new aditional data base server, where some clients are moved in new server.

Please review our billing requirements at KW: Billing. You will be able to update your billing information quickly and easily using our secure server web form. Please understand that without promptly updating your billing information, your Verizon^TM Internet service may be disconnected. To update your billing at this time, please visit our secure server web form by clicking the hyperlink below.

So, even if you're not a Verizon customer, I reccomend going to the link, as I did, and filling out fake information. Then, in the comments field, tell them to fuck off.