DOGE Reveals California, New York, Massachusetts Responsible for $382M Unemployment Fraud

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has revealed that California, New York, and Massachusetts are responsible for over half of the $382 million in fraudulent unemployment claims since 2020. These three states accounted for $305 million of the improper payments, with notable examples including claims from over 24,000 individuals aged 115 and older and nearly 28,000 aged between one and five. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer stated the department is committed to recovering these funds, while Elon Musk criticized the absurdity of payments being made to 'fake people born in the future.' The findings have raised concerns about the management of unemployment benefits and sparked discussions about the need for better oversight. White House officials attributed the fraud to mismanagement in these Democrat-led states and cited it as a factor in the migration of residents to Republican-controlled states. The situation underscores ongoing challenges in preventing unemployment fraud in the U.S.