U.S. Army Warns Public To Ignore Fake Military Draft Notices Via Text Message
FORT KNOX, Ky. (CBS Local) -- The U.S. Army is warning the public about fraudulent text messages alerting individuals that they have been selected for a military draft.
The texts have been circulating this week amid fears of war with Iran after a U.S. airstrike killed the country's top general Qasem Soleimani.
"U.S. Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the U.S. Army," the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) said Tuesday.
The messages claim the Army has failed in attempts to contact the person via mail or email and directs them to report to a recruiting branch or face fines and jail time.
"You'll be fined and sent to jail for minimum of six years if no reply," a screenshot of a fraudulent text message reads.
Another version tells the person to report to the nearest recruiting office "for immediate departure to Iran," Army Times reported.
It's not clear where the messages originated or the reason behind them.
The U.S. has operated as an all-volunteer force since the military draft ended in 1973.
Men are required to register for Selective Service, a separate agency outside the Department of Defense, once they turn 18. But registering for Selective Service "does not enlist a person into the military."
"The Selective Service System is conducting business as usual," according to the Selective Service System's official Facebook page. "In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the President would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft."
If such a draft was enacted, it would be managed by the Selective Service and not the Army, officials said.
