Hotmail hoax

Hey I found this information about Hotmail I think this is important for people that use hotmail but I dont know if this is a rumor or is true im not sure but Ive seen this in alot of places and ive been getting emails from people about this...

This is what I read in this website about the information Im talking about http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/hotmail.html

Urgent: Please Forward! Hello to everyone from the Hotmail Headquarters! This is just a little test to see who is actively using their email account and in effect deleting all inactive users accounts. This process will make the whole site faster and easier to use for the active users. Now on to what to do with this email. All you have to do is forward this on to at least 10 registered Hotmail users. If you don't forward this on within 48 hours of reading it, your account will be deactivated momentarily until you contact Hotmail Headquarters.


The text of the second version reads as follows:

READ THE PARAGRAPH IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR HOTMAIL ACCOUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Hotmail User,

Because of the sudden rush of people signing up to Hotmail,it has come to our attention that we are vastly running out of resources. So, within a month's time, anyone who does not receive this email with the exact subject heading, will be deleted off our server.Please forward this email so that we know you are still using this account.

WARNING WARNING
We want to find out which users are actually using their Hotmail accounts. So if you are using your account, please pass this e-mail to every Hotmail user that you can and if you do not pass this letter to anyone we will delete your account.

From Mr. Jon Henerd

Hotmail Admin. Dept.

Our hotmail system is getting to crowded!! We need you to forward this to at least 20 people. I know this seems like a large number, but we need to find out who is really using their account. If you do not send this to at least 10 Hotmail members, we will delete your account. Sorry for this inconvenience.

Sincerely, Director of Hotmail Services

Aaron Lopez

I got one of those letters about a year back and I haven't lost my account. Hoax? Yep it sure is. Have you heard the one about the hidden automated service in hotmail that mails you passwords of a account if you mail your account name and password with a attached code word in subject of the letter?

:D

Yeah yeah ive heard that 2!!! lol i guess is just rumors

lmao... You know, I hate to be negative, but I almost feel like people that fall for that sort of thing deserve what they get. What I don't like, however, are the friends that (no matter how many times you tell them not to) send you chain emails with your address in the to field. Next thing you know you're address is one in a list of hundreds that are being forwarded around. Damn spammers!

Oh well, I use Choicemail now and don't have to worry about it! :-)

Yea some lame people do that just del it

lol thats true im tired of that!!!

By posting stuff like this you're just spreading the **** and feuling the hoax. Although, anyone with half a brain can tell it's a crap.

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Originally posted by bluebeard96
lmao... You know, I hate to be negative

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You aren't anywhere near Negative......Not even close. ;)

If hotmail had to shut it off, it would shut it off, and it wouldnt ask YOU to forward it to 20 people, they got everybody's email lol

i guess that's simple logic
stupid people just want to give everybody trouble, cuz they got nothin betta to do

I have been a user of hotmail for a long time now, and have seen this quite a few times. I just ignored it and I am still one of their oldest clients.I think it is just a way to attract more investors to it,or keep the current ones from bailing out on them.They actually do deactivate your account if not used actively anyway.So they might be trying to promote their site because other free e-mail sits are doing better and they are in a tight spot.
regards
v/man:)

Anyone can tell it's fake, but what is the "hoaxer" trying to gain by sending these messages? I understand trying to social engineer someone out of their password by pretending to be a Hotmail Admin or something, but by telling them to forward it or they'll delete your account gains the hoaxer nothing. A damn waste of my time if you ask me.

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Anyone can tell it's fake

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Well, any of *us* can tell it's fake, but that doesn't mean *anybody* can tell. My girlfriend got this message about her Yahoo account a couple of weeks ago, and fortunately we just happened to be chatting on messenger at the time it came in. (So it's not limited to Hotmail.) She was going to do it, and it took me about 15 minutes to explain to her satisfaction why her account wasn't going to be deleted. She's not exactly a techie, but she has picked up a few things from being around me, so she's definitely more aware than a lot of people out there.

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what is the "hoaxer" trying to gain by sending these messages

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Interesting question. The nearest I can figure is that they're harvesting e-mail addresses for spam. I guess maybe they're hoping the mail will eventually come back to the originator with 20 or 30 new addresses in the header. I'm temped to say that vanman might be onto something, but the fact that my g/f got it on her Yahoo means that the hoax isn't limited to Hotmail users.

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By posting stuff like this you're just spreading the **** and feuling the hoax

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How the hell is talking about something that's going around fueling the hoax? If anything, this is helping to expose the hoax. I've never seen, heard, or smelled a topic that was too dangerous to talk about.

Man, this is sooooooooooo old. check astalavista.com for another 200 lame ways to "hack" hotmail. Man, if people fall for that crap.... uuuhhmm, never mind. I'm just a designer. :)