# Personal cyber insurance in Germany: identity theft, online fraud and cyberbullying

> German personal cyber policies pay and help when someone orders goods in your name, a web shop takes your money and never delivers, or your child is bullied online. Nobody has to buy one. Before you do, check what your bank, your household contents policy (Hausrat) and any legal expenses cover (Rechtsschutz) already handle, because together they often close most of the gap.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-personal-cyber-insurance.php  
Updated: 2026-11-06

## Do I need personal cyber insurance if I live in Germany?

Usually not as a first priority. German consumer advice centres consider a stand-alone policy unnecessary for most people who already hold personal liability, contents and legal expenses insurance. It makes most sense for families whose children use social media, for people who buy a lot on online marketplaces, and for anyone without legal expenses cover who wants hands-on help, not just money, when something goes wrong. If you work freelance or run a business online, a private policy will not cover that side of your life.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory?:** no, entirely voluntary
- **Typical premium:** stand-alone policy roughly €50 to €130 a year, add-ons much less
- **What it covers:** online purchase fraud, identity misuse, cyberbullying, data recovery
- **First port of call:** your bank, which must refund unauthorised payments (§ 675u BGB)
- **Excluded:** business and freelance use, which needs commercial cyber cover

## What these policies actually do

A German personal cyber policy combines three elements: money for certain financial losses such as a fraudulent online purchase, payment for specialists such as data recovery or removing harmful posts, and telephone support. When the consumer magazine Finanztest compared twenty policies in 2024, five were built as legal expenses cover and fifteen as loss insurance, and the gaps between them in price and help were wide.

Limits are tight. In that comparison no policy paid more than €3,000 per online purchase, and none covered the offline world. If your wallet and ID card are stolen in the street, that is a contents insurance claim, even if the thief later misuses your identity online.

## Your bank pays first

German law puts the bank in the front line. Under § 675u of the Civil Code (BGB) it must refund a payment you did not authorise. If you were only slightly careless, your share is capped at €50 under § 675v BGB. If the bank can show gross negligence, for example because you read out a TAN to a caller, you may carry the whole loss. That is the moment a cyber policy earns its keep.

So check two points in any offer: does it pay where the bank refuses because of gross negligence, and does it cover card payments and payment services as well as online banking? Some contents add-ons only cover misuse of online banking login details.

## Private, business, contents add-on: where the lines run

Private cyber cover stops at your private life. Freelancers, landlords managing tenant data online and anyone with a web shop need commercial cyber insurance, which pays for business interruption, data protection breaches and claims from customers. A contents add-on is the budget option for money lost through online banking or shopping. Legal expenses cover pays lawyers and courts. A stand-alone cyber policy blends money with practical help and costs more.

## What is covered

- Loss from fraudulent online purchases, capped per purchase
- Misuse of online banking, cards or payment services where the bank does not refund
- Help after identity misuse, including defending unjustified claims
- Cyberbullying: removal of harmful content, legal advice, sometimes psychological support
- Data recovery and reinstallation after malware
- IT helpline
- Partner and children under a family policy

## What is not covered

- Freelance, professional or business use
- Theft of wallet, ID card or devices offline
- Losses the bank is legally obliged to refund
- Money you transferred voluntarily after being deceived, in many policies
- Ransom payments
- Incidents that began before the policy started

## Who needs it

- Families with children on messaging apps and social networks
- Frequent buyers on marketplaces and classified ad sites
- Households without legal expenses insurance
- People whose data has already appeared in a breach

## Who does not need it

- A stand-alone policy if your contents insurance has an internet add-on and your legal expenses cover includes personality rights online

## What it costs

Personal cyber cover in Germany is cheaper than many expect, but the spread is wide. An add-on to contents or liability insurance costs a fraction of a stand-alone policy and does less.

| Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- |
| Stand-alone policy, single person | roughly €50 to €130 a year |
| Cyber add-on to contents or liability cover | roughly €20 to €50 a year |

**What drives the premium:**

- Stand-alone policy or add-on
- Single person or family
- Maximum payout per claim and per year
- Whether legal expenses and psychological help are included
- Excess

_Guide figures from published German market comparisons, including Finanztest, 2024 to 2026. Family policies cost more. Your premium is fixed only in the quote._

## The policy levels on the market

- **Add-on to contents or liability:** Money lost through online banking and often online shopping, with low limits. Rarely includes help with identity theft or bullying.
- **Stand-alone cyber policy:** Money, specialists and advice in one: online fraud, identity misuse, cyberbullying, data recovery.
- **Cyber policy with legal expenses:** Adds lawyers and court costs against perpetrators, sellers or platforms. Worth it if you have no legal expenses cover.

## How to recognise a good policy

| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Online purchases | non-delivery by retailers only | private sales on classified sites too, high limit per purchase | Much purchase fraud happens between private sellers and buyers. |
| Gross negligence | excluded | covered | That is exactly when German banks refuse a refund. |
| Payment methods | online banking only | online banking, cards and payment services | Stolen card details are common and fall outside weak add-ons. |
| Cyberbullying | telephone advice | content removal, lawyer and psychological first aid | With children, speed of removal and support matter most. |
| Identity misuse | reimbursement on proof | active help with sellers, debt collectors and credit agencies | The paperwork after identity theft often outweighs the money. |
| Insured persons | policyholder only | everyone in the household | Children are among those most often affected. |

## Insurers on the German market

Only some German insurers sell stand-alone personal cyber policies; many large groups focus cyber cover on businesses. The companies below offer private tariffs that have been assessed in independent German ratings. This is a market overview, not a recommendation.

- **Debeka**: part of the Koblenz-based Debeka group, own sales force
- **ARAG**: Düsseldorf insurer best known for legal expenses cover
- **SV SparkassenVersicherung**: public-sector insurer sold mainly through savings banks
- **VGH**: public-sector insurer in Lower Saxony
- **INTER**: Mannheim insurance group, agents and brokers
- **WGV**: Stuttgart insurer selling direct
- **BavariaDirekt**: direct insurer of the Versicherungskammer Bayern group

139 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Sonstige finanzielle Verluste, Allgemeine Haftpflicht). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

## Typical claims and who pays

- **Fake web shop never delivers** (the purchase price, often a few hundred €): Some contents add-ons only cover online banking. Strong policies also replace goods that never arrive, up to the limit per purchase.
- **Account emptied by phishing** (your balance up to the overdraft limit): The bank pays first. If it refuses because of gross negligence, only a policy that covers gross negligence steps in.
- **Goods ordered in your name** (reminders, debt collectors, lawyer, time): Add-ons rarely cover identity misuse. Stand-alone policies fight unjustified claims and write to sellers and credit agencies.
- **Child bullied in a class chat** (content removal, lawyer, counselling): Strong family policies arrange removal of posts, pay for legal advice and often for psychological first aid.
- **Laptop encrypted, photos gone** (data recovery and reinstallation): Many cyber policies pay for data recovery. None of the private ones pays the ransom.
- **Your freelance website is hacked** (lost income and client claims): That is business use. No personal cyber policy pays; you need commercial cyber insurance.

## Myth or truth

- „Germany has a specific criminal offence called cyberbullying." ✘ False. Individual acts such as insult, stalking or unlawful images are punishable, but there is no single cyberbullying offence.
- „If I was only slightly careless, my bank can charge me at most €50 for misuse." ✔ True, under § 675v BGB. With gross negligence the cap falls away and you may bear the full loss.
- „A cyber policy pays if my wallet with my ID card is stolen." ✘ No. Finanztest found no cyber policy that covers the offline world. The theft itself is a contents insurance claim.
- „Much of the cybercrime against Germany is committed from abroad." ✔ True. In 2024 the Federal Criminal Police Office counted nearly 202,000 offences from abroad or an unknown location, more than the roughly 131,000 committed inside Germany.
- „With contents, liability and legal expenses cover I am often partly protected online already." ✔ True. That is why German consumer advice centres see a separate cyber policy as unnecessary for many people. The wording of your existing policies decides.

## Common mistakes

- Buying a cyber policy when contents and legal expenses insurance already cover the cases
- Calling the insurer before the bank and the police after phishing
- Choosing a policy that excludes gross negligence
- Relying on a private policy for freelance work or a web shop
- Leaving children off the policy

## FAQ

### How is this different from business cyber insurance?

A personal policy covers private life only. Commercial cyber insurance pays for business interruption, data protection breaches and customer claims. Anyone self-employed or running a web shop in Germany needs the commercial version.

### Will my bank refund me after phishing?

For a payment you did not authorise, in principle yes, under § 675u BGB. With slight negligence you bear at most €50. With gross negligence, such as passing on a TAN, the bank may refuse.

### Is cyberbullying a crime in Germany?

There is no single offence called cyberbullying. Individual acts are punishable, for example insult under § 185 of the Criminal Code, stalking under § 238 or unlawful images under § 201a. Publishing someone's photo generally needs their consent.

### What should I do after identity theft?

Report it to the police, tell your bank and any affected sellers, change your passwords and request your file from the German credit agencies. A cyber policy with identity cover handles the correspondence and fights unjustified claims.

### How common is cybercrime in Germany?

The Federal Criminal Police Office recorded around 131,000 cybercrime cases committed in Germany in 2024, plus nearly 202,000 offences committed from abroad or from an unknown location. Many incidents are never reported.

### Does the policy pay ransom?

Almost never. Personal policies pay for data recovery and advice, not for ransom. If you are blackmailed, do not pay and report it.

### Can I take out a German policy as an expat?

Yes, if you live in Germany. Most policies are written in German, so ask for the key terms in English before you sign.

## Legal basis and sources

- [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/)
- [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/)

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-personal-cyber-insurance.php#anfrage

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