Fraudulent Unemployment Claims Include Recipients Born in the Future, DOGE Review Finds

Published April 10, 2025

In a bizarre yet alarming revelation, a government audit has uncovered a wave of fraudulent unemployment claims filed under the names of individuals who, according to official records, haven’t even been born yet. The findings, released by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on April 9, 2025, reveal significant flaws in the unemployment insurance system that allowed fake claims to slip through—some from identities with birthdates decades into the future.

The next day, on April 10, DOGE head Elon Musk brought national attention to the issue with a social media post that quickly went viral. “Your tax dollars were going to pay fraudulent unemployment claims for fake people born in the future,” Musk wrote. “This is so crazy that I had to read it several times before it sank in.”

According to the DOGE report, millions of dollars were disbursed to fabricated identities that should have never passed even basic eligibility checks. Examples included applicants supposedly born in the year 2154, individuals recorded as over 115 years old, and even toddlers as young as one year old.

While it’s likely that some of these anomalies stem from database errors or incomplete records, the scale of the issue—spanning tens of thousands of claims—has raised serious concerns about the integrity of federal benefits systems. The total estimated cost to taxpayers exceeds $300 million, based on current audits.

DOGE’s findings have added urgency to ongoing efforts in Congress to clamp down on pandemic-era unemployment fraud. A bipartisan bill in the Senate aims to extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting such fraud to ten years, and to improve federal identity verification systems going forward.

This latest revelation has reignited debate about how much oversight was sacrificed for speed during the rapid rollout of pandemic relief. While agencies were under intense pressure to deliver aid quickly, critics now argue that essential safeguards were either overlooked or not enforced.

Whether the result of oversight failures, system loopholes, or outright fraud, the report underscores the importance of better data management and verification processes. As Musk put it, even simple checks—like making sure someone has actually been born—could prevent hundreds of millions in waste.

The investigation is ongoing, and further findings are expected in the coming weeks as DOGE continues its broader audit of pandemic-era spending.

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. https://t.co/U5qqcyUgzo

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2025