The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced Friday that it has officially removed over 12 million individuals from the Social Security rolls who were erroneously listed as 120 years old or older. The effort, part of a major cleanup launched in March, comes after widespread reports that millions of supposed centenarians and supercentenarians were still classified as “alive” in the system.
The bizarre errors included 3.4 million people aged 120-129, 3.9 million aged 130-139, 3.5 million aged 140-149, and 1.3 million aged 150-159, with some cases even exceeding 159 years—longer than the United States has existed as a country. DOGE’s announcement notes that while most cases have been resolved, some complex records, such as individuals listed with multiple birth dates, remain under investigation.
The discovery of these anomalies first came to light in February when Elon Musk highlighted the issue, joking that “maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security.” The data revealed thousands of people born before the nation’s founding, sparking questions about fraud, system errors, and the integrity of government databases.
The Trump administration has acted to secure Social Security benefits for legitimate recipients. In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning illegal immigrants from receiving Social Security benefits and cracking down on fraudulent claims. The order instructs federal agencies to ensure that only eligible citizens and lawful residents are collecting Social Security funds.
The cleanup underscores the importance of maintaining accurate records in key government programs, especially those involving taxpayer dollars. Fraudulent claims and errors within entitlement programs remain a pressing issue as the nation faces long-term fiscal challenges.
