Overview

• The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found nearly $400 million in fraudulent unemployment claims dating back to 2020 after an initial survey of federal payments.
• The anomalies include 24,500 claims from individuals over 115 years old, 28,000 claims from children aged 1 to 5, and 9,700 claims from those with future birthdates, including one case of a claimant born in 2154 receiving $41,000.
• Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer vowed to recover the stolen funds and strengthen systems to prevent future fraud, emphasizing accountability and transparency.
• Critics suggest some anomalies may stem from data entry errors or systemic issues rather than deliberate fraud, raising questions about the accuracy of the findings.
• DOGE claims its broader cost-cutting efforts have saved U.S. taxpayers $150 billion, averaging $931 per taxpayer, through initiatives targeting fraud and inefficiencies.