Depositor's Forgery Insurance

Depositor’s forgery insurance protects against financial loss from forged or altered negotiable instruments.
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This policy responds when a bank deposit is paid out based on a forged or fraudulently altered item, depending on policy wording and endorsements.

Coverage applies only to qualifying instruments and conditions described by the contract. Operationally, carriers usually require strong controls from the insured before payment, because weak controls increase loss frequency.

Claims implications

When a claim is filed, insurers compare the forged item, transaction logs, and depositor controls. Failure to follow reporting and detection protocols can reduce indemnity.

Example

A merchant deposits a batch of checks that include one altered check number and signature. The insurer can recover the forged-item loss after the insured proves timely detection and reporting steps were followed.