Have you ever hit ‘send’ on an email only to realize you’ve made a huge mistake? We’ve all been there. Whether it’s a typo, a reply-all disaster, or accidentally forwarding an embarrassing message, email fails can happen to the best of us. Let’s take a look at some of the most hilarious email fails that have gone viral and left us all in stitches.

In 2018, a company-wide email thread at a major corporation turned into a disaster when an employee accidentally hit ‘reply all’ to a message intended for just the HR department. The email contained a complaint about the office coffee machine, but instead of reaching HR, it went to the entire company. What ensued was a barrage of ‘reply all’ responses, ranging from jokes about the coffee to chastising the initial sender for their mistake. The email thread quickly spiraled out of control, with hundreds of employees getting involved and ultimately bringing the company’s email system to a grinding halt. The incident became known as the ‘Coffeegate’ scandal, and it serves as a cautionary tale for the dangers of hitting ‘reply all’ without double-checking the recipient list.

In 2016, a sales representative at a software company sent an email to a potential client, outlining the details of a new product launch. However, unbeknownst to the sender, their phone’s auto-correct feature had other plans. The email was riddled with embarrassing auto-correct mistakes, turning important product features into nonsensical and sometimes inappropriate phrases. The recipient of the email was left scratching their head, unable to make sense of the garbled message. The sales rep only realized the blunder after several puzzled responses from the client, and they quickly sent an apology email, blaming the mishap on their malfunctioning phone. Needless to say, the potential client was left with a less-than-professional impression of the company’s attention to detail.

One of the most common email fails is the accidental forward. In 2017, an employee at a marketing agency intended to forward a scathing critique of a client’s new ad campaign to a coworker for their eyes only. However, in their haste, they mistakenly hit ‘forward’ instead of ‘reply,’ sending the email straight to the client in question. The unfiltered feedback about the campaign’s shortcomings was not well-received by the client, who promptly fired the agency and took their business elsewhere. The employee who made the blunder quickly offered an apology, but the damage had already been done. This serves as a reminder to always double-check the recipient before hitting that ‘forward’ button.

In 2019, a junior executive at a PR firm made a grave mistake when sending an email to a high-profile media contact. In an attempt to appear professional, the executive had set up a new email signature, complete with their full name, title, and contact information. However, what they failed to realize was that the email signature also included a rather unusual and embarrassing quote at the bottom. The recipient of the email was taken aback by the unexpected and inappropriate message, and promptly replied, pointing out the error. Mortified, the executive quickly updated their email signature and sent an apology, but the damage to their professional reputation had already been done. It serves as a cautionary tale to always review every aspect of your email before sending, even the small details like your signature.

A major blunder occurred in 2020 when a government official sent sensitive and confidential information to the entire press corps instead of a select group of trusted journalists. The email contained classified details about a forthcoming policy change, and the official’s mistake resulted in a major security breach. The press quickly seized on the opportunity, publishing the sensitive information and causing a media frenzy. The government official responsible for the mistake faced severe consequences for their error, and the incident sparked a review of the email system’s security protocols to prevent future mishaps of this magnitude. This email fail serves as a stark reminder of the importance of double-checking recipients and the content of sensitive emails before hitting ‘send.’

In 2015, an administrative assistant at a law firm made a critical error when sending out an email to the firm’s partners. The subject line of the email was meant to read ‘Updated Financial Projections,’ but due to a typo, it instead appeared as ‘Urine Sample Financial Projections.’ The mistake was not caught until after the email had already been sent to the entire leadership team. The assistant quickly sent a follow-up email, apologizing for the embarrassing typo and providing the correct subject line, but the damage had been done. The partners were left puzzled and amused by the bizarre mistake, and the assistant became the subject of office jokes for weeks to come. This amusing blunder serves as a reminder to always proofread every aspect of your email, especially the subject line.