At a recent gathering to support an unsuccessful candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Brad Schimel, Elon Musk made a statement hinting that the government was on the verge of arresting an individual involved in Social Security fraud. This revelation during a political rally about an ongoing investigation outraged law enforcement officials for valid reasons.

It should be noted that there are always ongoing investigations into fraud cases. Musk did not reveal any groundbreaking discoveries. The Social Security Administration has well-established systems to identify, prevent, and address fraudulent activities. Surprisingly, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is undermining these systems, thereby increasing the likelihood of fraud.

Instances of Social Security fraud are relatively uncommon, primarily due to the Administration’s efficiency in detecting them. Fraudulent activities constitute only 0.00625 percent of Social Security’s expenses, a much lower percentage compared to private sector insurance. Most fraudulent cases involve benefit or Social Security Number theft, quickly noticed and reported by individuals, leading to the prevention of the fraud scheme.

Musk’s recent focus seems to be on the minimal fraud attempts through the agency’s 1-800 number. It was alleged that to combat fraud, there was a plan to discontinue allowing most beneficiaries to verify their identities over the phone for benefit applications or altering direct deposit information. Fortunately, public opposition led to the reversal of this decision.

In reality, the Social Security Administration receives 80 million calls annually on its 1-800 number from citizens. Musk and Vice President JD Vance claimed that 40 percent of these calls, about 32 million, were from “fraudsters stealing direct deposits.” However, only 1 out of every 3,100 calls succeeded momentarily in direct deposit fraud, accounting for just 0.032 percent of all calls. For every successful direct deposit hijacking, five such attempts are thwarted.

To address this relatively minimal fraud compared to the legitimate calls volume, Musk’s associates planned to compel millions of additional individuals annually, many with restricted mobility, to visit field offices in person. This group had also laid off 7,000 Social Security workers, with intentions to lay off more, resulting in understaffed or entirely closed offices. This move would have necessitated beneficiaries to travel long distances for assistance.

Due to Musk’s interventions, Americans were to be directed from safe phone interactions to already overloaded field offices. Alternatively, they could navigate the Social Security website, which, thanks to Elon Musk, experiences more fraud cases, although still minimal, and frequent crashes.

Moreover, the lack of explanation and forethought in the policy changes and reversals created an opportunity for fraudsters to pose as Social Security employees, contacting beneficiaries and coercing them to provide personal information under the pretense of identity verification. This, in tandem with Trump and Musk’s actions, fosters a climate of fear and uncertainty around Social Security benefits, rendering seniors more vulnerable to fraud.

Trump and Musk have been disseminating misleading information concerning Social Security fraud, often referring to individuals over the age of 150 receiving benefits as a standard practice. Nonetheless, these claims have been debunked, revealing their misunderstanding about Social Security practices.

In a widely-listened-to podcast, “Joe Rogan Experience,” Musk described Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme,” which was unwarranted given its consistent payment record over nearly a century. Despite enduring various challenges, Social Security has proven its resilience, a fact that Elon Musk and Donald Trump are attempting to overlook.

In mid-February, the Trump administration forced out the acting commissioner of Social Security for resisting the disclosure of social security data to DOGE. Subsequently, they appointed a candidate of their choice, Leland Dudek, leading to the downsizing of the agency’s workforce, thereby compromising fraud prevention mechanisms.

DOGE’s actions are perpetuating waste, fraud, and abuse within the Social Security system, as highlighted in leaked email exchanges addressing the cancellation of essential contracts, potentially resulting in increased improper payments and identity theft. Dudek, acting under Trump’s direction, ordered the cancellation of these contracts, disregarding the adverse consequences.

While Dudek’s actions were criticized as immature, pointing to Maine Governor Janet Mills’ stance against Trump’s policies, the Trump administration’s willingness to promote waste, fraud, and abuse for political gain was evident. Therefore, any attempt by Elon Musk to take credit for apprehending a fraudster should be credited to the dedicated public servants behind the successful, prolonged investigation. Remember, when Musk voices concerns about Social Security fraud, it is his operatives who are exacerbating the situation.