Complete Guide — Updated August 2026
Complete Guide to Commercial Crime Insurance: Coverage, Costs & Who Needs It — 2026
Commercial crime insurance (also called fidelity insurance) protects businesses from financial losses caused by criminal acts — including employee theft, robbery, forgery, computer fraud, and social engineering scams. Most commercial property and BOP policies explicitly exclude crime losses.
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Commercial crime insurance (also called fidelity insurance) protects businesses from financial losses caused by criminal acts — including employee theft, robbery, forgery, computer fraud, and social engineering scams. Most commercial property and BOP policies explicitly exclude crime losses.
What It Covers ✓
- ✓Employee dishonesty and theft (the most common crime claim)
- ✓Robbery and burglary of money, securities, and property
- ✓Forgery and alteration of checks, promissory notes
- ✓Computer fraud — unauthorized transfers from your accounts
- ✓Social engineering / impersonation scams (wire transfer fraud)
- ✓Funds transfer fraud
- ✓Theft of client money in your care, custody, or control (fiduciary)
What It Does NOT Cover ✗
- ✗Cybersecurity incidents (requires cyber liability policy)
- ✗Intentional acts by owners / principals
- ✗Accounting errors or bookkeeping mistakes
- ✗Pre-existing known theft discovered before policy inception
Who Needs Commercial Crime Insurance?
- →Any business handling significant cash or liquid assets
- →Retail businesses and restaurants
- →Property managers handling client funds
- →Professional services firms with client trust accounts
- →Financial services businesses
- →Businesses with significant inventory tempting to employee theft
How Much Does It Cost?
Small business ($250K limit)
$400–$1,200/year
Mid-size ($1M limit)
$800–$2,500/year
Financial services / high risk
$2,000–$8,000/year
Deductibles
Typically $1,000–$5,000
Key Terms to Know
Employee Dishonesty
Covers theft by your employees — cash, inventory, company funds. The most common crime insurance claim. Explicitly excluded from most GL and property policies.
Computer Fraud
Covers unauthorized computer-based transfers of money from your accounts. Different from cyber liability — crime policies cover the theft itself; cyber covers the breach that enabled it.
Social Engineering
Covers losses from scams where an employee is tricked into transferring funds to a fraudulent account (CEO fraud, impersonation scams). Often available as an endorsement on crime policies.
Discovery Period
Crime policies are typically "discovery" triggered — they cover losses discovered during the policy period, regardless of when the theft actually occurred.
How to Get Commercial Crime Insurance
Audit your internal financial controls — separation of duties, dual approval for transfers, regular account reconciliation
Determine crime limits based on your average cash, inventory, and liquid asset exposure
Add social engineering endorsement — wire transfer fraud via CEO impersonation is now the fastest-growing crime claim
Get Commercial Crime Insurance Today
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