I think the answer is a resounding yes. I just got forwarded this:
”
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.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
”
Which bizarrely, in the same email had this:
”
>>>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
”
Needless to say, the email was about a mile long, full up with the names and email address of several gillion people who had forwarded this and had it forwarded to them. Most of the people doing the forwarding were adding comments like:
“Please do this! Some of my friends have already gotten deleted and you
>>>aren’t allowed to send it back to the person who sent this email to
>>>you!!!”
“Really Sorry Guys!!!”
“they say to pass it on to all who i know .”
“I’m not too sure if
>>>it’s true or not, but just in case it is, then do not delete it, forward
>>>it along to the 20 people so that you won’t be deleted.”
“Sorry guys I also hate forward but if this is true it’s important”
and this one which was a bit odd:
“Patrick more plays the xylophone”
I particularly like the “they told me to pass this on” comment. They! They. Who does this person think they is? Does this person think they’re living in 1984 and that Big Brother is monitoring them and if they don’t forward this fucking email to at least 20 people, bad things are going to happen?
Why do people think that these emails are actually real? Why do people clog my inbox with this shit and, inevitably, reveal my email address to all sorts of email harvesters so it will start to receive SPAM. There must have been easily 500 email address in this email if I was malicious enough to extract them and send them emails about penis enlargement and Nigerian money making schemes.
Seriously.
I just got this too, odd considering that hotmail and yahoo have both just UPPED email storage capicity by a large factor for all users, and that they can tell who actually uses their services without some primitive and idiotic email forwarding scam.
we also get these messages and they r absolutely crap! i didn’t send it n, and my account is stil workin! lol.
i totally agree with u guys, does anyone even know if there IS an Aaron Lopez, coz i seriously doubt it.
im sick of these stupid emails – i hate everytime i open my email and find one of those stupid friendship emails that tell u to pass it on to x amount of people or your head will fall off/ you will never have sex again/ u will die intantly.. whatever. sick sick sick of them – theyre so soppy and gay. like could all of u please save me space in my mailbox for important emails.
just had to say something – i just got 6 stupid emails in the last 3 hours.
Follow up…
In follow up to this: http://www.weirdbeard.co.uk/blog/mt-tb.cgi/53 I just had to post again. I have just received the actual email… the “original” if you will. I wanted to show you guys, but it was impossible to take a screenshot, so you’ll…