US Army Recruiting Office Warns Text Messages About Draft Are False

The U.S. Army has issued warnings that text messages sent to Americans about being drafted into military service are false.

The U.S. Army’s Recruiting Office issued a statement warning about the fake text messages on Wednesday. It said its offices received several phone calls and emails throughout the week, asking about the legitimacy of these messages. However, they assured no draft has been enacted and Army Recruiting is not involved with implementing one.

Messages reportedly read draftees needed to report to their nearest recruitment centers “for immediate departure to Iran” and if ignored, “you'll be fined and sent to jail for minimum 6 years if no reply.” Some texts also reportedly used the real names of recruitment officers to be passed off as legitimate.

“The decision to enact a draft is not made at or by U.S. Army Recruiting Command,” the statement said. “The Selective Service System, a separate agency outside of the Department of Defense, is the organization that manages registration for the Selective Service.”

The waves of fake texts come during a period of increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran after the death of Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani from a U.S. airstrike. Several thousand U.S. troops were deployed to the Middle East following the airstrike, reportedly catching military families by surprise.

The last draft enacted by the U.S. ended in 1973 after American forces withdrew from Vietnam.

“The Selective Service System is conducting business as usual,” the Selective Service System said in a Facebook post. “In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the President would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft.”