U.S. Army recruitment texts threatening civilians to enlist for "immediate departure to Iran" or face jail time is the latest scam alarming people in the Florida and New Jersey areas.
To be clear, Uncle Sam is not wanting anyone right now.
Buzzfeed News obtained screenshots of these fraudulent drafting notices indicating recipients were marked "as eligible and must come to the nearest branch...for immediate departure to Iran."
The U.S. Army warned people on Tuesday about the fraudulent draft notices after Army officials first heard from concerned parents and recruiters on Monday.
Below are the screenshots provided by the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.
The first text was received by people living in the Jacksonville, Florida, area.
US Army Recruiting Command
The text reads:
"United States Official Army Draft, we tried contacting you through mail several times and have had no response."
"You've been marked eligible and must come to the nearest branch in Jacksonville Florida area for immediate departure to Iran."
"Please contact us at the following number and respond to this message immediately."
"...We're aware that this number is not disconnected, you'll be fined and sent to jail for minimum 6 years if no reply."
The second screenshot is a variation of the same notice but addressing residents living in New Jersey
US Army Recruiting Command
"Hello, we are contracting you in regards to the United States Official army draft, we tried contacting you through your email several times and have had no response."
"You've been marked eligible and must come to the nearest branch in the New Jersey Area for immediate departure to Iran."
"Please contact us at the following number immediate."
US Army Recruiting Command (USARC) media relations chief Lisa Ferguson told Buzzfeed:
"We don't have any way of knowing if some areas are receiving more texts than others unless we were to query all 1,400 recruiting stations and more than 10,000 recruiters."
The USARC assured that the U.S. Army "is NOT contacting anyone regarding the draft."
Twitter had various reactions to the fake draft, including those who saw humor in gullible people.
According to these texts, training is the least of their concerns when the Army needs recruits sent to Iran NOW.
Others reminded the public that the Army does not reach out to you through a text.
The USARC website also clarified that the Selective Service System is the official U.S. government agency that manages registration and maintains records of people who are eligible for conscription.
Memes and jokes about people potentially getting drafted for World War III began circulating after General Qassem Soleimani was killed on January 3, 2020, in a targeted U.S. drone strike approved by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The USARC website states that the draft "has not been in effect since 1973," when it was used for the Vietnam War.
"The military has been an all-volunteer force since that time. Registering for the Selective Service does not enlist a person into the military."
The Selective Service tweeted that they are "conducting business as usual."
Those who are interested in volunteering to serve for the U.S. Army, however, can contact a local Army recruiting office.
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