As thousands of additional troops are being deployed to the Middle East, people across the country are receiving alarming text messages saying they have been drafted into military service.

“You’ve been marked eligible and must come to the nearest branch,” and “you’ll be fined and sent to jail for 6 years if no reply,” the text messages read.

Screenshots of the texts provided by US Army Recruiting Command to CNN showed spelling and grammatical errors, indicating they were not official correspondence. Some of the fake texts used real names of Army recruiting commanders — while others used fictitious names — lending the false appearance of authenticity, said Kelli Bland, a spokeswoman for the US Army Recruiting Command.

It is unclear how many of these fake recruiting texts may have been sent, and Army security officials are still investigating the source, said Bland. So far there have been no reports of Americans showing up to recruiting branches as a result of the texts, according to CNN.

The Palm Desert U.S. Army Recruiting office said in a statement to NBC Palm Springs:

“What we can say is that the U.S. Army has been an all-volunteer force since 1973 and is currently offering excellent education and career opportunities to those interested in serving, full or part time as officers, enlistees, reservists or guardsmen. Vis-à-vis current geopolitical events, we have not seen an impact on our ability to recruit qualified volunteers. Recruiting operations are proceeding as normal at this time, and we’re still looking for qualified volunteers who want to serve their country. Last year, approximately 3,400 Southern Californian’s from San Diego, Orange County and the Inland Empire volunteered to serve. These Soldiers serve in critical roles like combat medic, combat engineer, infantry and military police. We’re working towards recruiting a similar number this year. To be clear, the U.S. Army does not control the draft. Per the Selective Service System, the agency that oversees the draft, 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 draft has not been in effect since 1973; we’ve been an all-volunteer force since that time.”

If a draft was to occur, this would be the sequence of events according to the Selective Service website:

Sequence of Events

Overview of What Would Occur if the United States Returned to a Draft:

	Congress and the President Authorize a Draft A crisis occurs which requires more troops than the volunteer military can supply. Congress passes and the President signs legislation which starts a draft.
	The Lottery A lottery based on birthdays determines the order in which registered men are called up by Selective Service. The first to be called, in a sequence determined by the lottery, will be men whose 20th birthday falls during that year, followed, if needed, by those aged 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. 18-year-olds and those turning 19 would probably not be drafted.
	All Parts of Selective Service are Activated Selective Service activates and orders its state directors and Reserve Forces Officers to report for duty. See also Agency Structure.
	Physical, Mental, and Moral Evaluation of Registrants Registrants with low lottery numbers are ordered to report for a physical, mental, and moral evaluation at a Military Entrance Processing Station to determine whether they are fit for military service. Once he is notified of the results of the evaluation, a registrant will be given 10 days to file a claim for exemption, postponement, or deferment. See also Classifications.
	Local and Appeal Boards Activated and Induction Notices Sent Local and Appeal Boards will process registrant claims. Those who pass the military evaluation will receive induction orders. An inductee will have 10 days to report to a local Military Entrance Processing Station for induction.
	First Draftees are Inducted According to current plans, Selective Service must deliver the first inductees to the military within 193 days from the onset of a crisis.

U.S. Army Warns of ‘Fake Draft’ Text Messages