Plenty of Americans across the country have been receiving text messages informing them that they have supposedly been drafted into the U.S. army, after the fear of a war with Iran spreads. Following the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani as a result of an airstrike ordered by President Donald Trump, tensions have been heavily rising between Iran and the U.S., leading many to believe that World War III is just around the corner.
It looks like some scammers saw these increasing anxieties as the perfect opportunity to attempt to trick people into thinking they've been drafted into the army, by sending out text messages to random numbers. Many have taken to the Internet to share the messages they've received, some texts informing the recipient that they are required to report for "immediate departure to Iran," while others warn the recipient that they will "be fined and sent to jail for minimum 6 years" if they don't respond to the message. Many of these concerned citizens were so alarmed by the messages, they resorted to contacting their local military recruiting offices and even, in some cases, the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. The bombardment of panic has caused the U.S. Army to release a statement, assuring everyone that the messages are completely fake: "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." Nobody's going to get legitimately drafted over text, and according to Complex, it's unlikely that a draft would happen at all. "A draft can only be enacted in extreme circumstances," and a war with Iran, which hasn't even officially been declared, "wouldn't meet the criteria for the country to rely on involuntary military service."