The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) released findings from a preliminary survey of Unemployment Insurance claims since 2020 that highlight significant anomalies suggesting widespread fraud. Shared via the agency’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, the survey pointed to numerous cases in which unemployment benefits were distributed to individuals with improbable or impossible birthdates.
Among the most notable findings from the DOGE post was that approximately 24,500 individuals who were reportedly over 115 years old had filed for and received unemployment benefits totaling an estimated $59 million. For context, the oldest verified living American is currently 114 years old. The DOGE post also stated that 28,000 individuals between the ages of 1 and 5 years old received $254 million in unemployment payments.
Additionally, 9,700 individuals with birthdates set more than 15 years into the future collectively claimed $69 million in benefits. One claim, the post noted, was made by an individual born in the year 2154 who received $41,000.
The Department of Labor responded to the report following an inquiry by Fox News Digital. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer acknowledged the findings and emphasized the department’s commitment to recovering misused taxpayer funds. “This is another incredible discovery by the DOGE team, finding nearly $400 million in fraudulent unemployment payments,” Secretary Chavez-DeRemer stated. “The Labor Department is committed to recovering Americans’ stolen tax dollars. We will catch these thieves and keep working to root out egregious fraud—accountability is here.”
The DOGE initiative was launched with the intent to identify waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. The effort is being led by entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has actively publicized several findings through his social media presence. In response to the most recent report, Musk commented, “Your tax dollars were going to pay fraudulent unemployment claims for fake people born in the future! This is so crazy that I had to read it several times before it sank in.”
Musk followed up with another post noting the lack of systemic safeguards, stating, “The oldest living American is 114 years old, so it is safe to say that anyone 115 or older is collecting ‘unemployment’ due to being dead. There was no sanity check for impossibly young or impossibly old people for unemployment insurance.”
The post quickly drew responses from elected officials, including Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who replied, “Reckless incompetence.”
The survey is part of an expanding review process being conducted by DOGE, which has been auditing a range of federal programs for potential misuse and administrative oversight issues. These findings are expected to lead to additional investigations and potential reforms within the Department of Labor and associated state-level agencies responsible for processing and distributing unemployment benefits.
No specific individuals or entities have been named in connection with the reported fraudulent claims. The Department of Labor has not yet released a full breakdown of how these anomalies passed through existing verification systems.
NEW: DOGE has uncovered $382 million in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims since 2020. In one bizarre case, an individual with a birth year of 2154 claimed $41,000 in insurance benefits.
Key findings:
– 24,000 individuals over 115 years old claimed $59 million in benefits… pic.twitter.com/Cer4zgrNqn— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) April 10, 2025
Further details regarding the methodology of the DOGE survey or steps being taken to prevent similar issues in the future have not been disclosed. The incident adds to ongoing discussions about the broader scope of fraud in federal relief programs since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased demand for social safety net services over the past four years.
