Not even a global pandemic can keep scammers away from their dirty work.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing communications laws and regulations, is warning consumers about several scams related to Covid-19 vaccinations, contact tracing, fake tests and more.

Fraud and scams have taken off during the pandemic. In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 4.7 million reports about scams from consumers, up from 3.2 million in 2019—and some experts say that might not even show the full picture.

“We know that fraud is a historically underreported crime, so the true number of victims of scams related to Covid-19 is likely far higher,” says John Breyault, a vice president at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy nonprofit.

The numbers are alarming, especially with so many Americans suffering deep financial distress. The current unemployment rate sits at 6.3%, and millions of Americans are relying on federal aid such as extended unemployment benefits, eviction protections and stimulus checks to remain afloat. Nobody can afford to lose a penny to scammers.

Read more: $1,400 Stimulus Check Calculator

Here’s how you can stay vigilant against scammers. First: Know what you’re up against.

6 Types of Covid-19 Scams

Scammers have become so good at their rackets—stealing money from vulnerable people—that it can sometimes be hard to tell a scam from a legitimate inquiry or offer. Let’s take a look at the six biggest coronavirus-related scams today:

Covid-19 Testing Scams

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning of a text message scam that impersonates the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The scam text messages tell recipients that they are required to take a “mandatory online Covid-19 test” via a link included in the message.

This is a phishing scam: The fraudsters are hoping you’ll click on the link and provide sensitive information such as your Social Security number, passwords, credit card information or other identifying information for use in identity theft. Alternatively, the link could download malware onto your mobile device.

Covid-19 Vaccine Scams

The federal government is providing the Covid-19 vaccine free of charge to everyone living in the United States. But some scammers are using the Covid-19 vaccine program to steal money or personal information from consumers.

The FTC warns that you should never pay to sign up for the vaccine or buy the vaccine. It cannot be purchased anywhere, and you can only make an appointment at an official vaccination site.

You are never asked by a vaccine distribution site, health care provider’s office, pharmacy or insurance company to provide sensitive information such as a Social Security, bank account or credit card number in order to sign up for a vaccine.

Contact Tracing Scams

Contact tracing is a program that has been used to identify contact cases of Covid-19 and to help stop the spread of the virus. The FCC says many states are sending text messages for contact tracing outreach—and scammers are jumping on the opportunity to exploit the program.

Scammers may impersonate contact tracers in texts or calls, stating the recipient has been exposed to Covid-19 and needs to act quickly. These scams often ask for Social Security numbers or insurance information. Real contract tracers already have information such as your name, address and birthday, and will confirm those details with you rather than asking for them directly.

Online Shopping Scams

Online purchases have skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic, due to shelter in place orders and many retailers being forced to shutter in efforts to stop the spread of the virus. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates there was a 32.1% increase in e-commerce sales in the 4th quarter of 2020 compared to 2019.

The BBB is warning about delivery-status scams that arrive as text messages or emails. Fraudulent notifications may urge you to click on a fake tracking link and input personal information, or the link may install malware on your device.

To verify whether an online shopping notification is fake or legitimate, take a look at the number the text message is sending from—the FCC says if it starts with an 809 area code, or other 10 digit number, it’s likely a scam. With emails, examine the address of the sender and see if it looks unusual in any way, like extra numbers in the address, certain letters being replaced with similar looking ones (for example, an “m” being replaced with a “rn”) or sounding like a spin-off of what you would expect the address to be.

Health Insurance Scams

Fraudsters are attempting to steal health insurance information from consumers through a variety of scams, including fake antibody tests, fake pharmacy calls and pretending to be insurance companies.

The scammers ask for additional personal information to “confirm” a recipient’s insurance to ship supplies that are “pre-approved.” They might also collect personal information to then charge your insurance provider for unnecessary services or medications that you never used or received.

Social Security Scams

Scammers are impersonating Social Security officials in an attempt to steal personal information from older Americans.

The FCC says these scammers will claim a Social Security account has been suspended due to “suspicious and fraudulent activity,” and will request a payment to have the account reinstated. The scams also claim benefit payments may be suspended due to Covid-19, and will request payment to get those benefits reinstated.

Scams Are Getting Tougher to Identify

Whatever the grift, Breyault says scams are becoming more sophisticated and more difficult to identify. He reminds consumers to follow their intuition when approached by a stranger.

“A good rule of thumb is that if someone you don’t know asks you to send money or provide personal information that you wouldn’t be comfortable giving to someone on the street, it could be a scam,” says Breyault.

When in doubt, consumers can turn to official websites or phone numbers to confirm if the communication they have received is legitimate or not. You can call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card, for instance, or reached out to your pharmacy directly.

Steps to Take If You Believe You’ve Been Scammed

Realizing you’ve been a victim of a scam can be an overwhelming experience. It’s often one filled with anger, sadness and self-doubt. But there are steps you can take if you believe you’ve fallen victim to a scam.

The FCC advises consumers who have been scammed to contact law enforcement immediately and to file a coronavirus scam complaint online with the FTC at Reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC advises consumers to report anything they might think is a scam, even if they’re unsure. Unwanted calls, as well as spam emails and texts, can also be reported.

The troublesome part about scams is many of them don’t end with just stealing money from consumers—they also steal personal information that aids identity theft, which a scammer can use to commit fraud and other crimes. For example, a scammer can use this information to open a credit card in your name, steal your tax refund or even access your bank accounts and steal your cash.

Victims of identity theft should immediately freeze their credit reports. All three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, allow consumers to do this for free—you can freeze your reports online, by phone, or by mail. This prevents scammers from opening accounts in your name.

Then fill out a report on IdentityTheft.gov, a website overseen by the FTC, to report the theft and come up with a recovery plan.