MetLife has been accused by ex-police officers and their lawyers of intrusive, and sometimes illegal, surveillance methods to determine the legitimacy of a claim.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, police officers in New South Wales, Australia have been subjected to intense video surveillance by private investigators which cause undue stress and psychological damage to claimants.

John Cox, principal lawyer at Slater and Gordon who deals with police compensation, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the surveillance he has witnessed has “breached not only privacy provisions when obtaining video surveillance but have also breached specific criminal provisions.

“I would understand the constant pervasive use of such surveillance if it was catching out claimants engaging in work or activities inconsistent with their claims, but this is not the case,” said Cox. “The only conclusion I can make is that the surveillance is undertaken to place pressure on claimants or to harass them, and anecdotally I do hear of officers who simply abandon their claims due to such conduct and the ill-effects it has had on them and their families.”

MetLife strongly refuted the claims, stressing that the insurer seeks to pay legitimate claims quickly and fairly.

“To the extent the assertions he makes relate to MetLife,” a spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald, “we reject any suggestion that we would be knowingly engaged in illegal or unethical practices.”