A whistleblower complaint alleges that a former software engineer working with the Department of Government Efficiency removed sensitive data belonging to Americans from the Social Security Administration and stored it on a thumb drive. The allegation, first reported by The Washington Post, is now under investigation by the Social Security Administration’s inspector general.
According to the report, the former employee later told colleagues at a new workplace that he possessed restricted government databases containing personal information about U.S. citizens.
Databases Allegedly Contained Hundreds Of Millions Of Records
The individual, who was not named in the report, previously worked at the Social Security Administration before leaving in October to join a government contractor.
At his new job, the former employee reportedly told coworkers that he had access to two major Social Security databases known as Numident and the Master Death File.
The databases together may contain records relating to more than 500 million living and deceased Americans.
According to the report, the information in those systems may include Social Security numbers, birth dates, birthplaces, citizenship status, race and ethnicity, and the names of parents.
The whistleblower complaint also states that the former employee told colleagues he previously had unrestricted access to Social Security Administration systems, describing it as “God-level” access.
Agency Response And Investigation
A spokesperson for the Social Security Administration denied that a former employee stole personal data.
The spokesperson said the Washington Post report was “desperate for clicks and eager to publish fake news to scare seniors.”
The Social Security Administration’s inspector general, which operates independently from the administration of Donald Trump, is reviewing the whistleblower complaint. The office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Previous Allegations Involving DOGE And Social Security Systems
The incident adds to earlier concerns about potential data exposure linked to personnel associated with the Department of Government Efficiency.
In January, two DOGE members were suspected of accessing Social Security numbers that were outside the scope of their authorized duties. According to a lawsuit, the data may have been shared with an advocacy group seeking to challenge election results in certain states.
Another whistleblower complaint previously alleged that members of the group uploaded hundreds of millions of Social Security records to a cloud server that lacked adequate security protections.
In a separate case last year, a judge blocked DOGE personnel from accessing Social Security Administration systems. The court stated that the agency appeared to be conducting a “fishing expedition” while investigating potential fraud.
DOGE Personnel Within The Agency
Personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency were assigned to the Social Security Administration after Donald Trump took office last year.
According to the Washington Post report, at least a dozen DOGE staff members — most of them engineers or technical employees — were working inside the agency.
The report stated that other Social Security Administration staff were not informed about the specific responsibilities or activities of those employees.
Featured image credits: USA Whistleblowers
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