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Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, affectionately known as DOGE, may have ceased operations, but its legacy continues through the United States Digital Service (USDS). This executive branch agency functions under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with the mission of modernizing federal government technology.
Despite their official designation as USDS, the team humorously refers to themselves as the “U.S. DOGE Service” on their social media platform, X, and even on their official website.
In a significant announcement on Monday, the USDS revealed that they have identified a staggering $1 billion in student loan fraud since the beginning of the Trump administration.
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More than $30 million went to individuals who were deceased.
More than $40 million went to bots posing as students.
— U.S. DOGE Service (@USDS) March 23, 2026
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They followed up with a series of tweets explaining their discoveries:
- Fraudsters used AI-generated identities and stolen personal information to create applications that appeared legitimate.Â
These were fake students enrolling to access real money.
Not surprisingly, the problem was left to fester when former President Joe Biden was at the helm:
- Under the Biden Administration, less than 1% of applicants were required to verify their identity, so scammers took advantage and stole taxpayer dollars.
- Colleges and universities across the country reported being under siege by highly sophisticated fraud rings.Â
They called on the Trump Administration for help.
In just the first week of investigation alone, they found hundreds of thousands of fraudsters:
- A nationwide identity verification effort launched and quickly exposed the scale of the problem.
Nearly 150,000 suspicious identities were discovered in just the first week.- Applications are now being flagged and stopped in real time, protecting taxpayer dollars and driving even more savings in the near future.
- This year, crackdowns continue, going further, moving faster, and closing the gaps that allowed this to happen.
They wrapped up the thread with a warning:
If you are trying to exploit federal student aid, you will be stopped. Understood?
— U.S. DOGE Service (@USDS) March 23, 2026
Artificial Intelligence, it would seem, was a major tool used by many of the cheaters. AI played a dual role, though: it’s what helped USDS uncover the scope of the problem and save big money for taxpayers.
It may not be as entertaining as when Elon Musk whipped out the chainsaw, but saving our hard-earned dollars is always a good thing.
Elon Musk debuted the “chainsaw for bureaucracy” at CPAC today.
It was presented to him by the OG of cutting government spending, waste, and inflation, Javier Milei.
He should carry that around with him all the time. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/umDcgfHHYR
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) February 20, 2025
Meanwhile, it’s hard to dislike an agency that saves our money and makes cool memes like this one:
Fraud can run but it can’t hide. pic.twitter.com/NbmNz31Ilb
— U.S. DOGE Service (@USDS) March 13, 2026
Editor’s Note:Â President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America’s kids get the education they deserve.