Following up on my original post, here is the text of the SPAM mail I received:

"Dear Mr. Gorin,

Thank you for your email requesting for pre-order of an BlackBerry Bold handset. The current listed price is in about $5,500 range.

Please follow the below steps for pre-ordering:
1. Place a deposit of $300 via credit card to guarantee the order
2. Provide credit card copies [front & back] and its information including
a. Credit Card Number (Master/Visa)
b. Name of Card Holder
c. Expiry Date
3. Deposit will be deducted from the handset price
4. It will be refunded if customer cancels the order
5. Stock will be available in some 3 to 4 weeks, and we will contact you once it is available
6. Only pre-order from local will be accepted
7. Pick-up location: Mongkok

Should you prefer to release the above information through other means, you are always welcome to contact our sales representative directly through our Sales Hotline 2988 1010 (CSL1O1O).

Thank you for your interest in our product. It is always our pleasure to serve you!


Yours truly,


Derek Wong
CSL Customer Service"

Thanks Derek! I can't wait to send you xerox copies of the front and BACK of my credit card (which of course includes the 3-digit security code) on it, so that I can wait "some 3 to 4 weeks" to get my new Bold, and then hop on a jet over to Mongkok to pick it up. What could be better than the giddy anticipation of the new Bold for some 3 to 4 weeks, than a 10+ hour plane trip to experiment with my new toy on the way back to California?

What's my favorite thing about the CSL E-mail you ask? Well, they ask you to provide them with a copy of the front and back of your credit card, but you must also provide them with the credit card number, name of the cardholder, and the expiration date. Of course this information is all provided on the xerox of your card....but you know, just in case. I guess that if not anything else, those folks in Hong Kong are thorough.