How Did a 'Person' Born in 2154 Receive $41K in Unemployment Benefits? DOGE Uncovers Fraud Scheme

On 10 April 2025, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, revealed a staggering discovery: millions in taxpayer funds were siphoned through fraudulent unemployment claims, including £32,000 ($41,00) paid to a 'person' with a birth date in 2154.

This eyebrow-raising find, part of a broader probe into government waste, has sparked questions about how such audacious fraud slipped through the cracks. Let's take a closer look into the details of this futuristic scam and what DOGE's investigation means for public trust.

A Time-Travelling Claimant and Other Oddities

The DOGE team's initial survey of unemployment insurance claims since 2020 uncovered a gallery of absurdities. Alongside the 2154-born claimant, 24,500 'people' over 115 years old pocketed £46 million ($ million), while 28,000 'toddlers' aged one to five claimed £198 million ($259 million).

Even more bizarrely, 9,700 'future citizens' with birth dates beyond 2040 raked in £54 million ($70 million). 'Your tax dollars were going to pay fraudulent unemployment claims for fake people born in the future!' Musk exclaimed on X, admitting he had to reread the figures to grasp their absurdity New York Post.

These claims point to a systemic issue: identity theft and lax oversight. During the pandemic, unemployment systems were overwhelmed, creating fertile ground for fraudsters using stolen or fabricated identities. The US Labour Department later encouraged states to log such fraud under 'pseudo claim' records, often with implausible birth dates to flag them, which may explain the 2154 anomaly.

Yet, DOGE's findings suggest not all were caught, with real money haemorrhaging to fake recipients.

How Did the System Fail So Spectacularly?

The scale of this fraud, totalling nearly £298 million ($390 million), raises thorny questions about government safeguards. States like California, New York, and Massachusetts accounted for over 79% of improper payments, per DOGE's report Fox News.

High claim volumes during the 2020 economic shutdown, coupled with rushed online systems, left vulnerabilities. Fraudsters exploited these gaps, often using bots or stolen data to file en masse.

Musk's team argues this reflects deeper inefficiencies, with DOGE claiming £117 billion ($153 billion) in overall savings from rooting out waste. Critics, however, caution that some 'fraud' may be mislabelled errors or already-flagged cases, as Fox Business noted.

Still, the sheer volume of suspect claims underscores a need for tighter controls, like biometric verification or AI-driven audits, to prevent future leaks.

What's Next for DOGE and Taxpayers?

DOGE's mission, launched by executive order on 20 January 2025, is to streamline government spending. Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer vowed to pursue culprits, stating, 'We will catch these thieves and keep working to root out egregious fraud.'

The Labour Department is now cross-referencing claims to recover funds, though the complexity of 9,700 future-dated cases slows progress. Public outrage is palpable, with X users decrying, 'Who thinks these things up?' as sentiment sours over wasted taxes.

For taxpayers, DOGE's work could restore confidence if it delivers accountability.

Plans for real-time fraud detection and stricter ID checks are gaining traction. Yet, balancing efficiency with fairness remains tricky: slashing budgets too fast risks disrupting legitimate claimants. As DOGE digs deeper, its findings may reshape how governments safeguard public funds, ensuring no more 'time travellers' cash in.

Originally published on IBTimes UK