Index

Which potential dangers do I have to be aware of in Germany?

1. Scams/involment in criminal activities (laundry washing): Unfortunately, international students are often the target of scammers/criminals, either in the form of an accommodation scam or a job scam. Please watch this video so that you are able to recognize the most common scam situations and avoid them. If you accept an illegal job, you will be punished for criminal activity!

2. Fraud via email (phishing emails etc.): If you receive emails alerting you about the urgent need to click on a link and enter your personal data, be very suspicious and verify who the sender is! German banks, our university computer center and other official institutions in Germany will never approach you in such a way, therefore, chances are high that you are confronted with an email scam. Don’t react and direct the email to your spam folder. When in doubt, call the official institution and ask them whether they sent you such an email. Please note that our FAU professors and other FAU staff will NEVER send you emails to aks you for favors, e.g. to send them money or to buy things for them (google play cards or similar). If you receive such an email from an FAU member, it means that their email account has been hacked. Please report this to our Computer Center: rrze-zentrale[at]fau.de

2. Getting severely ill due to lack of vaccination: The German authorities recommend these vaccines to all individuals living in Germany, all of which are covered by your German health insurance and therefore free of cost for you. Make sure to find a general medical practitioner (family doctor) as soon as you arrive in Germany and make an appointment with them to discuss which vaccines you need. The last thing you want to happen to you is to get severly ill while you are in a foreign country and don’t know anybody who can support you. Luckily, this is easy to avoid if you take care of getting all required vaccines. The same applies to your spouse and children if you came to Germany with a family.