Harassment or privacy threat? Insurance company asks man to share home pics, Google location to pass insurance claim

In a world where insurance is a necessity for every salaried individual, the hassle people go through during the insurance claim is mostly overlooked. Because, as Anupam Gupta, who recently was asked to share his Google timeline data, writes, “because I need my claim passed, right?”
Since getting the claim passed seems to be a far-fetched dream, many people ignore the trouble they are made to go through. Because they all need the claim passed.
Author and podcast host, Anupam Gupta took to social media to share his ordeal with getting his insurance claim passed. He writes that two people called him on April 7 and asked him to let them inside to verify his insurance claims. “I was not contacted by my health insurance company at all. These guys just landed up outside my building. But that’s obvious right? If you give advance warning then I will certainly do a scam lol,” writes Gupta.
Gupta shares how he was asked to share documents and Google timeline data to ascertain that he was at the nursing home on that day at that time.
“here’s what they asked from us:
1. All documents for our claims. When we said we already submitted the originals to the health insurance company they said, we want copies.
2. Luckily we had one set. He took photos of all the file.
3. He wants GOOGLE TIMELINE data to prove that we were at the nursing home on that day at that time. We said, we don’t share location to Google and won’t to you.
4. He wants credit card statement to prove we made the payment.
5. They take photos of our home as well.
6. They made us talk to some random person from their agency who enquired about all possible details and much more regarding the claim,” he has shared on social media.
“Finally, they said ‘all health insurance companies do this’ when I asked if this is only for my claim. In fact, he showed me a bunch of declarations on his mobile phone to prove that this is a common practice now,” he writes.
After sharing his experience, Gupta says, “I know that we Indians are great at scams and false claims. I know that health insurance are just ‘playing it safe’ and all this standard procedure that I myself sign on when I take health insurance. But is this how bad things have gotten now? That anyone can claim he represents an insurance company and barge into my house? And if not, then my claim might just get rejected? I am not naming the health insurance company because I am pretty sure this is an industry wide practice.”

Filing a health insurance claim can often feel like a frustrating maze. Despite having coverage, many people face delays, endless paperwork, unclear policies, and repeated requests for documents. Sometimes, even valid claims get rejected due to technicalities or missing information. Long wait times for approvals and lack of transparency from insurers only add to the stress, especially during medical emergencies.
Some companies now even demand personal data like location history, raising privacy concerns. While insurance is meant to offer financial relief, the claim process itself can leave patients and families feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed when they need support the most.