04/27/2026
Most people assume their home insurance covers them if they get scammed online. It doesn't.
A standard home policy has no coverage for phishing, ransomware, identity theft, or online fraud. Those risks aren't rare anymore — cybercrime in Canada more than doubled between 2017 and 2021. And that was before AI made scams significantly harder to detect.
Adding a cyber endorsement to your home policy changes that. Here's what it actually covers:
𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱 — someone tricks you into sending money or steals your banking info. Covered.
𝗥𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗺𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 — your files get locked and someone demands payment to restore them. Covered, including a cyber expert who helps you respond.
𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗳𝘁 — and not just the financial loss. You get a dedicated case manager who deals with the credit bureaus, creditors, and law enforcement on your behalf. Because untangling identity theft alone is a nightmare.
𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 — this one surprises people. It covers counselling, legal costs to remove online content, even temporary tutoring or relocation if needed. For families with kids, this matters.
One thing I really like about Aviva's version: it includes complimentary dark web monitoring just for having the endorsement. It actively scans for your personal and financial information and alerts you if it's been compromised — before a claim ever needs to happen.
The cost to add this to an existing home policy is about $50 a year. That's less than a single dinner out, for coverage that could save you thousands — and a dark web monitoring tool working in the background year-round.
If you have a home policy and haven't asked about cyber coverage, it's a five minute conversation worth having.
