BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WBRC ) - As the federal government shutdown continues, the Birmingham Better Business Bureau is sounding the alarm about a new wave of scams aimed at stealing personal and financial information.

Birmingham BBB President Carl Bates said scammers are posing as government officials and are contacting people through phone calls, text messages, and phishing emails. The messages often appear to come from legitimate agencies such as the Department of Human Resources or Veterans Affairs, and the goal is to access benefits like SNAP, Social Security, and VA payments.

Bates said these scams often escalate quickly. Once contact is made, the scammers pressure victims to hand over sensitive information by convincing them that doing so is necessary to secure or continue their

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