adminIn a stunning and unprecedented move, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has deleted the Social Security records of 3.2 million individuals listed as 120 years or older. While the government claims this was part of an effort to clean up outdated records and prevent fraud, critics are raising concerns about potential data mismanagement, bureaucratic overreach, and the implications of such a massive data purge.
What Happened?
According to a statement from DOGE, the agency conducted a digital audit of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) database and found millions of records belonging to individuals who, on paper, were still “alive” despite being well over a century old. Some records dated back as far as the 1800s, raising serious questions about why they were never flagged for review earlier.
“These records should have been corrected decades ago,” said DOGE Director Mark Reynolds. “Many of these individuals were long deceased, yet their Social Security numbers remained active in the system. This created a serious vulnerability for potential fraud, identity theft, and improper benefit distribution.”
The Fraud Concerns
For years, government watchdogs have warned that outdated Social Security records could be exploited by criminals. Fraudsters can steal inactive Social Security numbers and use them to open bank accounts, apply for loans, or even file fake tax returns. Some experts estimate that hundreds of millions of dollars have been siphoned from government programs using such fraudulent tactics.
“Cleaning up these records is a necessary step toward preventing fraud,” said cybersecurity expert Linda Martinez. “But deleting 3.2 million records all at once? That’s drastic.”
Could This Impact Living People?
While DOGE assures that this move only affected deceased individuals, there are concerns that some living people could have been caught up in the mass deletion. The SSA’s records have been known to contain errors, sometimes misclassifying people as deceased when they are, in fact, very much alive.
One such case involved a 103-year-old woman in Florida who suddenly stopped receiving her Social Security payments last week. “I went to the bank, and they told me my Social Security number didn’t exist anymore,” she told reporters. “I called SSA, and they said I had been marked as dead!”
Stories like hers are fueling fears that the deletion process may have been rushed, leading to unintended consequences.
Political Reactions and Public Outrage
The deletion of 3.2 million Social Security records has sparked outrage among some lawmakers, who accuse DOGE of acting recklessly. Senator James McAllister (D-NY) has called for an immediate congressional investigation, arguing that the public deserves transparency on how such a major decision was made
“We need to ensure that this was done legally and ethically,” McAllister said. “Deleting millions of Social Security records without thorough oversight could lead to chaos.”
Meanwhile, some conservative lawmakers are praising the move, calling it a long-overdue step toward reducing government waste and tightening fraud prevention. “The government has been hemorrhaging money for years due to inefficiencies
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