Text messages saying "you've been selected for the military draft" with instructions to report to the nearest U.S. Army recruiting branch are fake, the military branch warned.
The messages come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran and the emergency deployment of 3,500 paratroopers to Iraq.
Army Recruiting Command told the Army Times it had received multiple phone calls and emails about the texts. Still, officials have not identified where they are being sent from.
"We have forwarded it on to our security personnel, and they're looking into it," Lisa Ferguson, chief spokeswoman for the service's recruiting command, told the Army Times. "We received three screen shots, but I've heard from several other recruiters and public affairs officials about it as well."
The texts instruct recipients to call the sender before reporting to the nearest branch office "for immediate departure to Iran."
Another message warns of a fine and jail time for "minimum 6 years if no reply."
Military conscription is an aged concept – the U.S. kept the draft until 1973 – and the military has been an all-volunteer force since that time.
The Selective Service System, the organization that manages registration for the Selective Service, said Wednesday it was "conducting business as usual."
"In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the President would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft," the organization said on its Facebook page.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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