I received this email from my bank today:

Dear William Barenes

We have received your statement as returned mail .

Please provide the new address for your profile update

as you are going to respond to this e-mail.

Regards

(Name omitted to avoid possible embarrassment)

There are a few things wrong with this email. First, it appears to be written in haiku. That isn’t normal. Second, it appears to have been translated by a machine. “As you are going to respond to this e-mail.” Is it demanding that I respond? Will it make me an offer I can’t refuse? Third, they spelled my name wrong.

On the other hand, there are a few things about this email that make it seem legit. First, it actually came from an email address at my bank. Second, I did move recently. Third, they got my bank branch right in the email signature. Fourth, I don’t see how having my address would help anybody.

So either my bank is hiring customer service people with very poor writing skills, outsourcing mail delivery to some non-English-speaking country, or someone really knowledgeable is targeting me. It’s possible that this is supposed to be the first step in a larger phishing scheme. Maybe after I correct my address (which seems harmless) the representative will notice something else and it will escalate.