It is true that improper payments have been made—including some to dead people—but the claims thrown out by Elon Musk and Donald Trump are overstated.

Elon Musk suggested Social Security data shows millions of improbably and impossibly old people collecting benefits, amounting to massive fraud in the retirement program. But the billionaire's claims about payments to dead people lack evidence -- and experts say his figures appear to count past-issued Social Security cards,