Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Catania, Sicily(CTA)/South Jersey (PHL)/Houston(IAH)/Red Stick, La.(BTR)/airborne in-between
Programs: United Plat (1MM), AA ExecPlat, ITA/AZ Freccia, Hilton Diam, Bonvoy Gold, Hertz Prez, IHG gold
Posts: 3,859
Don't tell if you can use your friends as contacts, as others have noted there is overstay paranoia from the USCIS folks involved.
It can be worse at the consulates-I am still cleaning up the visa denial mess of my sister-in-law, who was assumed to be visiting a boyfriend, just because ONE of her US contacts was a male friend.
If you really have issues with a "white lie" per se, do have proof of your ties to Deutschland i.e. job, school, onward ticket.
Ciao,
FH