Outright lies from customer service

Hehe... I found a peculiarity in my banking web app at SEB (the 2nd largest bank in the Nordic countries): the first of the eight challenge digits is always a nine, e.g. 9xxx xxxx. Well I figured I'd ask them why, and unless there's some obscure bug tell them to ramp up security by 14.3% by also randomizing the first digit. Here's the astounding answer:

Yes, you're right that there is a limitation in what we call the challenge numbers, i.e. those eight digits you type into your security token. We have divided them into 2 x 4 to make it easier. Always starting with a 9 means that we have seven digits left to work with. It means no noticeable reduction in safety. The reason we always start with a nine is for you to recognize that you are on our site.

Aha... So you mean to say that you've lowered security by 12.5%? On purpose? So that your customers can see that there is a number nine preceding the remaining seven digits in the challenge, which certifies the authenticity of your site? Boy, the only reason a haxxor couldn't copy that feature is because it's too dumb to think of. Btw: there is no information what so ever on the subject on their site. This was my reply:

Hello [Person],

So you're telling me you reduced security by 12.5% so users can recognize your site by the initial digit no. 9? You're not lying to me now, are you? Is really a digit no. nine so difficult for a phishing site to plagiarize?

I was going to become a corporate customer of yours this Thursday, but my confidence in you just went down a notch. Please help me repair it with an honest explanation! Thanks in advance!

Sincerely, Jonas

I'll post their answer.

Regarding the Über-Game, it's not been started yet as unforeseen work keep popping up. I want to be on a clean slate when I dig in and not have a bad conscience for abandoning the horrific chores of our household. Digging, building, painting, sealing water leaks in the gutter, splitting wood, cleaning out the garage, changing into studded tires for the winter, moving from sole proprietorship to joint-stock company for tax reasons, bank meetings and so on in an endless stream of shit. But soon I'll emerge as a new man at the end of the sewer. AND THEN!