There’s no situation scammers won’t take advantage of including escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command has issued a warning about fake text messages informing people they’ve been selected for the draft.
The Army Recruiting Command says it’s received a whole lot of calls and emails about these scam messages.
A big clue that this is a scam is that there hasn’t been a military draft in the United States since 1973. While there is a Selective Service system that requires all males 18 and up to be registered, that’s not the same as a draft. The Army can’t just start drafting people. There would have to be legislation that passed both the House and Senate plus the President would need to sign it.
If you take a closer look at this message, it’s just a regular old government imposter phishing scheme that warns of dire consequences if you don’t do what it says immediately. In this case, you’re threatened with a fine and a minimum of six years in jail if you don’t immediately call a phone number.
While government imposter scams often target the elderly, this one is targeted at young people. No doubt that anyone who calls that phone number will receive instructions to send money or turn over personal information like their Social Security number.
Both the Army and Selective Service are making it crystal clear that there is no draft and these texts are a scam.