Update: The New York Times' Amy Chozick tweeted on Wednesday that the email was reportedly sent by the New York Times to more than 8 million people. The Times confirmed that the email message was meant for only a small group of subscribers. "We regret this error and our earlier communication about it," the Times tweeted. A Times Company spokesperson said that of the 8.6 million people who received the email, no one's security had been compromised.
The Times also sent a correction email to all of its subscribers, apologizing for any confusion the email may have caused.
Original post: Twitter exploded Wednesday afternoon after a number of subscribers and others reportedly received email spam from the New York Times regarding their home delivery service.
The email message asked subscribers to reconsider canceling their home delivery service. The email also offered subscribers a significant discount to continue their service. The message was sent from the address nytimes@email.newyorktimes.com.
Dear Home Delivery Subscriber,
Our records indicate that you recently requested to cancel your home delivery subscription. Please keep in mind when your delivery service ends, you will no longer have unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps.
We do hope you'll reconsider.
As a valued Times reader we invite you to continue your current subscription at an exclusive rate of 50% off for 16 weeks. This is a limited-time offer and will no longer be valid once your current subscription ends.*
Continue your subscription and you'll keep your free, unlimited digital access, a benefit available only for our home delivery subscribers. You'll receive unlimited access to NYTimes.com on any device, full access to our smartphone and iPad® apps, plus you can now share your unlimited access with a family member.
To continue your subscription call 1-877-698-0025 and mention code 38H9H (Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. E.D.T.).
Recipients of the email flooded Twitter, wondering if the Times' email account had been hacked. The Times' communications department tweeted that the email was spam, not from the Times, and should be deleted.
Robert Christie, The Times' senior vice president of communications, tweeted that the company was "investigating the emails." The Times wrote that people "familiar with The Times' technical operations said it was unclear whether it was spam or possibly a erroneous mass e-mail."