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Does contents insurance pay if I become a victim of phishing?

In short

Standard German contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) does not pay if you become a victim of phishing, because online fraud is not one of its perils such as fire, burglary or water damage. Some policies have an internet or cyber add-on that pays up to a few thousand euros, usually only after the bank refuses. Your bank comes first: without gross negligence you bear at most EUR 50.

Does contents insurance pay if I become a victim of phishing?

What it costs

What phishing protection costs in Germany and what it typically pays.

ExampleTypical range
Standalone personal cyber insurance, range in a consumer testEUR 7 to 212 a year
Internet add-on to contents insuranceabout EUR 10 to 30 a year
Typical limit for online banking misuseabout EUR 3,000 to 15,000 a year
Your share towards the bank without gross negligenceat most EUR 50

Price range from a consumer test of May 2024, liability under the BGB.

Add-on price and limits are a guide value from quoting practice, October 2026;

we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Fake SMS from the bank

A customer enters his details on a fake bank page and confirms an approval. EUR 3,000 is debited. The bank refuses, citing gross negligence.

Basic contents coverEUR 0
Internet add-on naming only e-mailEUR 0
Add-on covering electronic communication, limit EUR 5,000up to EUR 3,000 less excess

Whether he gets money depends only on the wording of the add-on.

Why basic contents insurance does not pay

Contents insurance pays for belongings destroyed, damaged or stolen by certain perils. The German insurers' model terms list fire, lightning, burglary, robbery, tap water, storm and hail. Money you transfer or authorise after a fake message is none of these.

If you become a victim of phishing, you lose money from your account, not an item from your home. That needs an add-on or separate insurance.

Your bank pays first

If fraudsters used your data to make a payment you did not authorise, the bank must refund it under section 675u of the German Civil Code (BGB). Under section 675v BGB you bear at most EUR 50, unless you acted with gross negligence, for example by giving a TAN to a caller.

If the bank refuses citing gross negligence, ask for written reasons. Only then does an internet add-on usually step in, because most pay only after the bank.

What an internet add-on covers and where it ends

Some contents policies offer an add-on for online banking, cards and payment services. How far it goes depends entirely on its wording. In 2025 the Regional Court of Bielefeld ruled on contents insurance with internet cover that a clause describing phishing via a fake e-mail did not cover a fraudulent SMS. The customer lost almost EUR 5,000 and got nothing.

Look for wording such as electronic communication, or SMS, messenger and calls named explicitly.

Clause in the policyWhat it means for phishing
phishing via a fake e-mailSMS, messenger and calls often not covered
deception via electronic communicationbroader, also SMS and messenger
only after the bank refusesbank first, then insurer
limit per claim and per yearoften a few thousand euros

When you do not need an add-on

If you use app based approval, never pass on codes and your bank is liable down to EUR 50 anyway, a phishing add-on adds little. It mainly helps where the bank alleges gross negligence, and insurers check those cases strictly too.

Step by step

  1. Call your bank at once and block the card or access.
  2. Report it to the police.
  3. Ask the bank for a refund in writing.
  4. If refused, request written reasons.
  5. Then check the internet add-on of your contents policy and make a claim.

Checklist

  • Does your contents policy have an internet or cyber add-on?
  • Does the clause name SMS, messenger and calls?
  • What is the limit per claim and per year?
  • Does it pay only after the bank refuses?
  • Is there an excess?

Common mistakes

  • Assuming contents insurance pays for any fraud
  • Not claiming from the bank first
  • Relying on an add-on with a narrow e-mail clause

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does contents insurance pay if I am scammed by phone?

Basic cover does not.

An add-on only if its wording covers calls.

What if I made the transfer myself?

It usually counts as authorised and the bank need not refund.

Whether an add-on pays depends on its wording.

How much do I bear if I become a victim of phishing?

At most EUR 50 towards the bank, unless you were grossly negligent.

Is a standalone cyber policy better?

Often broader, but extra cost.

Check what your contents policy already includes.

Does contents insurance pay if my card is taken in a robbery?

Robbery is a covered peril, but separate limits apply to cash and cards.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Contents insurance

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1Who is it for?
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3Details

Contents insurance in Germany (Hausratversicherung)

Excluding cellar, attic and garage

For example valuable equipment, a safe, instruments, your planned length of stay

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Related questions

Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.

Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.

Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.

It does not arrange your contract.

Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated

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