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 โ 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:
๐ข๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ โ someone tricks you into sending money or steals your banking info. Covered.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ผ๐บ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ โ your files get locked and someone demands payment to restore them. Covered, including a cyber expert who helps you respond.
๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ณ๐ โ 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.
๐๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐น๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด โ 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 โ 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 โ 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.
