Reports of scams impersonating government agencies to the Better Business Bureau increased in October during the government shutdown, according to an Axios analysis.

The big picture: Government agencies, local banks and consumer advocates have been warning all month about scammers using confusion around the month-long shutdown to their advantage. • Experts have been bracing for scammers to try to take advantage of vulnerable people during the shutdown — for example, to target SNAP recipients worried about losing those benefits.

By the numbers: The Better Business Bureau received 211 total complaints about scammers impersonating government agencies in October, according to the bureau's Scam Tracker database. • That's up from the 151 total government imposter complaints the agency got

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