★ Commercial · Crime & fidelity
The policy that covers theft from the inside.
Crime and fidelity insurance protects your business when the loss comes from someone you trusted: employee theft, forgery, or fraud. Most small businesses buy $100k to $1M in employee-dishonesty limits, often as a standalone policy or a BOP endorsement.
Free quotes · No obligation · A licensed specialist answers, usually within one business day
★ What it covers
What’s covered and what isn’t.
Plain English, no fine-print games. Every policy has exclusions; here are the ones that actually matter for Crime & Fidelity.
What it covers
- Employee dishonestyTheft of money, securities, or property by an employee. The classic bookkeeper-embezzlement claim. This is the core of every crime policy.
- Forgery or alterationForged checks, altered drafts, promissory notes, and other financial instruments made or changed without authority.
- Theft of money & securitiesCash and securities stolen on your premises or in transit: the register drawer, the safe, the bank deposit run.
- Computer fraudA third party breaks into your computer systems to steal funds, securities, or data. The digital version of a break-in.
- Funds transfer fraudSocial-engineering wire fraud: the fake CEO email or vendor instruction that tricks an employee into moving money. Often an endorsement; ask for it.
- Money orders & counterfeit currencyLoss from accepting counterfeit money or forged money orders in good faith.
What it doesn’t cover
- Shrinkage you can't tie to an employeeMysterious inventory disappearance needs evidence of dishonesty. Carriers won't pay on a hunch.
- Your own fraud or the owner's actsCrime coverage protects the business from its people, not from its owners.
- Voluntary parting, unless endorsedIf you willingly sent the money (even to a scammer), the base form may exclude it. Funds transfer fraud coverage closes this gap.
- Theft by non-employeesA burglar who isn't on your payroll is a property-policy question, not a crime-policy one.
- Losses found after the discovery periodEmbezzlement surfaces late. If the loss is discovered after the policy's discovery window closes, there's no coverage.
- Honest mistakesA costly error isn't a crime. Mistakes in your work need professional liability, not crime coverage.
All quotes are subject to carrier underwriting and final approval. Coverage availability, terms, and pricing vary by state and carrier. The lists above describe typical Crime & Fidelity policies, not any specific carrier’s form.
★ Who needs it
If this sounds like you, you need crime coverage.
The businesses that buy Crime & Fidelity most, and the one-line reason each one does.
Retailers & convenience stores
Cash registers, many hands in the drawer, high turnover: the textbook employee-theft exposure.
Restaurants & bars
Cash tips, registers, and managers with safe combinations.
Nonprofits & churches
Volunteer treasurers handling donated funds: high trust, thin controls.
Contractors
Office staff handling customer deposits, draw requests, and progress payments.
Professional offices
Accountants, law firms, agencies: employees moving client money every day.
★ The short version
Embezzlement is discovered late, often 18 months or more after it starts.
★ What it costs
What drives the price.
Carriers price Crime & Fidelity on exposure, not vibes. Here’s what moves your number, and what you can actually influence.
- Employee count: More hands touching money means more exposure. Headcount is the first rating input.
- Cash & funds exposure: Registers, deposits, and who can authorize a wire. The more money in motion, the higher the premium.
- Prior crime losses: One embezzlement claim changes your pricing for years, and some carriers will decline you outright.
- Internal controls: Background checks, separation of duties, dual signatures, and annual audits earn real credits. Weak controls cost you twice.
- Limits & deductible: $100k in employee-dishonesty limits prices very differently from $1M. Match limits to your actual funds exposure.
★ Often quoted together
Pairs well with Crime & Fidelity.
Most businesses don’t buy one policy in isolation. These are the lines crime buyers usually quote at the same time. One specialist quotes the whole package.
Cyber Liability
Computer fraud and social-engineering wire fraud sit at the overlap. Most businesses quote crime and cyber together.
Directors & Officers
Nonprofit boards pair D&O for their decisions with crime coverage for the treasury.
Business Owner's Policy
Many BOPs include a small employee-dishonesty sublimit. Crime insurance raises it to real limits.
★ Straight answers
Questions crime buyers actually ask.
The short version of what our licensed specialists explain on calls every week.
Is crime insurance the same as a fidelity bond?
Does my business owner's policy already cover employee theft?
What is funds transfer fraud coverage?
How do background checks affect my crime premium?
What is a discovery period, and why does it matter?
Can volunteers be covered, or only employees?
Get my quote
Get your Crime & Fidelity quote. Two minutes.
Tell us about the business. A licensed specialist shops the carriers and comes back with real options.
- About 2 minutes, built for Crime & Fidelity
- A licensed specialist follows up, usually within one business day
- No bait prices, no call centers, no selling your information
Free quotes. No obligation. Written through Patriot Independent Insurance Partners, licensed in TX, FL, GA, SC, AL, MS, NC, CA, and CO. Your information is never sold to lead brokers.