Overview

• Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), claims the Social Security Administration (SSA) has millions of fraudulent beneficiaries, including individuals allegedly over 120 years old.
• Experts attribute these discrepancies to outdated COBOL programming and incomplete death records, not deliberate fraud, as Musk suggested.
• The SSA's own data indicates 66 million beneficiaries, far fewer than Musk's claim of 394 million, which includes inactive and non-beneficiary Social Security numbers.
• Musk's allegations have led to the resignation of SSA's interim commissioner, Michelle King, after mounting pressure from the Doge initiative.
• Critics, including former SSA officials, argue Musk's claims are exaggerated and lack substantial evidence, highlighting longstanding systemic issues rather than fraud.