Just made a Hetzner account, activated 2FA, the usual.

Then go to buy a storage box, and I get this;

> Our automated system check indicates that your account information has an increased level of risk. Please choose one of the following verification methods:

And you can pay 20 EUR up front by PayPal, or hand over your passport (fat chance!)

Is this genuine, or does everyone get this and it's a fake reason?

(I've signed up to pay by bank transfer, so I'm also wondering why they don't ask me for pre-payment by bank transfer. As it is, no way on God's clean earth they get a passport, and I'm not on Paypal, so will try to use a friend's, but seems my second try to board Hetzner train has bounced - first time I left almost immediately, when I saw spaces not permitted in passwords.)