Faking It

Imaginary people, real money:

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer presented the findings to President Trump at a Thursday afternoon cabinet meeting, saying “we’re working with our [inspectors general] … [to] return those dollars to the Treasury.” DOGE claimed an initial review found that since 2020, 9,700 people whose birth dates aren’t for another 15 years have claimed $69 million in benefits, which are administered by state governments. DOGE claimed that the department found hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment claims. DOGE claimed that the department found hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment claims. In one absurd case, a person whose birthday was listed in the year 2154 claimed $41,000, according to an X post by the department. Another 24,500 people over the near-impossible age of 115 claimed $59 million in benefits; and some 28,000 people between the ages of 1 and 5 years old claimed $254 million in benefits, DOGE discovered. “Your tax dollars were going to pay fraudulent unemployment claims for fake people born in the future!” Musk raged on X.

Maybe they were planning ahead...