Visitors to forest areas should beware of tick-borne encephalitis. The U.S. Embassy maintains a list of English speaking physicians. Further information on health matters may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's international travelers hotline, tel. Robbery and violent crime continue to be a problem. Muggings, pickpocketing and car thefts are common and can occur in daylight.
Foreigners leaving bars alone or in small groups late at night are a favorite target.
There have been several instances of criminals in bars and on trains offering unwary victims drinks laced with a powerful sedative and then robbing them while they sleep. The police in Estonia are improving, but still suffer from lack of equipment, training and resources. Few police officers speak English, and this can make it difficult to obtain prompt assistance. Credit card fraud is on the rise in Estonia. Travelers should take prudent precautions to safeguard their credit card numbers and report any suspected unauthorized transactions to the credit card company immediately.