(NEXSTAR) – As the deadline for a halt in SNAP benefits looms, millions of Americans face the risk of falling prey to scammers, experts and officials caution.

With more than 40 million individuals, including many children, bracing for the cessation of food assistance come November 1, the federal government has announced that unless the government shutdown is resolved, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will not be replenished in November.

This situation provides an opportunity for scammers to exploit those in dire need of accessing or restoring their benefits, according to Clayton LiaBraaten, a senior adviser at the scam protection app TrueCaller.

“At this moment, with the government shutdown underway, scammers are capitalizing on people’s anxiety about losing their benefits to obtain personal information,” LiaBraaten notes.