Common Scams in Germany: How to Protect Yourself
By: Simon Heinrich – Last updated: 07/2026
Alongside legal but unfair practices, Germany also has clearly criminal scams that specifically target people who aren’t yet familiar with the system. Knowing the most common patterns usually means you can spot an attempted scam within seconds.
This guide is part of our Fair Living cluster, our collection of independent guides for living in Germany without overpriced contracts or exploitation.
1. Fake police officers on the phone
In this scam, callers pose as police officers, federal investigators, or prosecutors and claim there’s an urgent threat, like an upcoming break-in or an arrest, in order to demand money or valuables. To make the call look legitimate, scammers use call-ID spoofing to make the emergency number 110 or a local police station appear on the recipient’s screen.
What to know: German police never call you proactively using the number 110, that number is exclusively for incoming emergency calls. Real police officers never ask for cash, jewelry, or bank details over the phone, and they never come to collect valuables from your home. If in doubt, hang up and call the local police station back using a number you look up yourself, never one given to you during the call.
2. Fake official emails
Criminals send emails designed to look exactly like messages from the tax office, the Elster portal, or other authorities, often promising a tax refund or threatening an alleged tax offense. The goal is to get recipients to click a link and enter personal or banking information.
What to know: German authorities never request sensitive information like account numbers or passwords by email, and important notices generally arrive by mail or through secure official portals like Elster, never via a link in an unsolicited email.
3. Rental deposit fraud
Especially in tight housing markets, scammers exploit the desperation of apartment seekers: they post listings for apartments that either don’t exist or that aren’t theirs, often at suspiciously low prices, and ask for a deposit or first month’s rent to be transferred before any viewing has taken place.
What to know: Never transfer money before you’ve viewed the apartment in person and signed a lease. Legitimate landlords don’t ask for deposits via international transfer or before any personal contact.
4. Phishing via SMS and email
Messages claiming to be from your bank, a delivery service, or a government agency urge you to click a link immediately, often to prevent an account from being “blocked” or to pay a supposed customs fee on a package. These messages can be nearly indistinguishable from genuine ones.
What to know: Never open links from unexpected texts or emails. Instead, go directly to the sender’s official website through your browser or app to check the status yourself.
5. Fraudulent job offers with upfront fees
Some supposed employers or recruiters promise well-paid jobs but demand an upfront fee for “materials,” training, or travel costs, claiming it will be deducted from the first paycheck.
What to know: Legitimate employers never ask candidates for upfront payments. The moment you’re asked for money before you’ve worked a single day, that’s a clear warning sign.
The basic rule against all of these scams
However different these scams look, they almost always follow the same pattern: time pressure, a source that appears authoritative or trustworthy, and a request to transfer money or hand over data quickly. Taking a deliberate pause the moment you notice these three signals, instead of reacting immediately, is usually enough to expose most scam attempts on your own.
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