Any time you have a question such as this, you can research it through "snopes.com" and it will show what activity is going on in scam departments.
Also if you want to be sure your account is active, NEVER EVER go through an email link...go directly to the website in question. Look on hotmail's main page for a way to report scam/spam/abuse topics. They may request you forward the email to them so they can track it's IP address.
Never give your password or other identifying information on a letter/email that is sent to you. Always contact the sender directly through your normal means, do not call any numbers or emails that the sender provides. Banks and credit cards are also being hit really hard right now with scam emails.