Don't allow users to create Fitbit accounts unless they have Fitbit devices

[nit3ghadge]

Fitbit should allow profile creation only for those users who has FitBit device. I'm seeing lot of fake profiles which send request and ask for things like cam chat, marriage, trading, binary and all other unnecessary things which are out of this platform. This annoys a lot as you need to keep on marking them as bad profile.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Wildroverx3]

They obviously have targets and search common names. I changed my name to MsScary for a while and I stopped getting requests!  

When I changed my name back, I omitted my picture and put a picture of a quote. Very non gender, non aging. I also stopped getting requests. As soon as I comment on a friend's page who gets lots of requests, I will get one or two again.

This encourages low participation in threads and a great deal of suspicion when poor new legitimate souls ask to be friends.🙄

Please fix. There are algorithms to find people constantly asking to be friends, there are algorithms to find inactive users that are suspiciously active on the site. Please, hire someone to make the algorithms and USE them please!!!

[sciguy1]

End this needless abuse from outsiders trying to scam our precious FitFam community! We are unique individuals and certainly not stupid when it comes to fake alleged Fitbit people!

[olivia010]

I just checked this thread, and right now there are almost 80 comments (28 are marked as New), 216 votes, and 3rd on the Hot topic filter in Feature Suggestions. Really hope Fitbit sees this as a problem that they NEED to fix NOW.

[TinaKatz]

I have asked my friends to vote and comment but many of them have replied, "Why bother, Fitbit doesn't care." which is sad. Fitbit please take this seriously. You have a lot of disappointed customers out there. 

[SunsetRunner]

I have also asked for votes and my friends tell me the same.  Why do you waste your time if Fitbit doesn’t care?

This is a place for fitness, not for dating or scammers.

What else does Fitbit needs to do something? 

[nit3ghadge]

@SunsetRunner @TinaKatz Thanks for casting your vote and sharing my idea with others. If other people are not interested in this idea or don't want to waste their time. I'm still ok as i have your support and along with 200+ people support. We will try our level best to pass this to fitbit development team. They need to accept our idea and come up with solution which will benefit everyone on the platform. This will surely make their existing customers happy.

[SunsetRunner]

@nit3ghadge thanks for making this group because we need to raise our voices and make people of Fitbit give us a solution.

I still receive at least 5 contact requests from scammers and men who are looking for everything except fitness.  And what about those princes from Arabia?  Pathetic.

[MindAndBody]

Really hope something is finally done about this, as it does destroy the Fitbit community eventually. Since this is an ongoing thing for years now as I see threads from years ago about scammers, I'm not sure anything will be done about this. Though it's good to see people standing up against this. 

I've been getting tons of friend requests from scammers since I've been more active on the app community lately and it truly amazes me it's so easy for these people to get on here without even making use of a Fitbit product. I've been clear about scammers in my profile, but they still try. 

I hate the fact that people feel the need to change their profile pics and make their account as neutral as possible to get less requests from scammers. Basically the lack of solutions make people stop participating in this community because of all these scammers that take over. 

[mjs752002]

Real problem, but a horrible (proposed) solution.  I use the app without a fitbit device -- my phone has a pedometer, and it's handy to have a calorie counter with me wherever I travel.  Should I lose access to the account simply because others are abusing friend requests?  And do you really think gating friend requests behind a relatively cheap purchase will dissuade scammers? 

Think this through.  It won't stop the spam, but it will screw some real users.

[nit3ghadge]

@MJS I'm totally agree to your point. I'm waiting for fitbit team to pick up my suggestion once. So that i'm going to recommended change which will benefit both users. I know there are people around who are genuine on this platform and doesn't hold the device. I also requested fitbit team to add symbol to the users which doesn't hold device and we can easily segregate people with device and without device. Also, all platforms are trying to avoid spammers by putting respective norms and policies. We people share our information on this platform and i don't want tom dick harry to access it or use it for his personal benefits.

[nit3ghadge]

@SunsetRunner It will be soon taken care @MindAndBody I'm hopeful at this moment. All community members supporting my idea by casting their valuable votes.

[CaliBabe]

Non Fitbit Owners should “NOT” be allowed to access Fitbit Forum IMHO. Firstly we Serious Active Fitbit Family are here for fitness & creating friendships’ learning about Health & Well Being! As we encourage each other. Non Fitbit owners are only using this app’ for self serving purposes . All Non Fitbit owners can find other sources for logging calories’ steps’ @ other sites. They shouldn’t be allowed to take advantage of Fitbit forum & abusing Fitbit Customers that are serious about fitness.  “Non-Fitbit Owners Accounts aren’t held to the same standards & guidelines as us Fitbit owners do! simply cause they can’t participate in any challenge’s to earn badges & miles stones’ that are proudly displayed in our accounts’ that we’ve worked so hard to earn! & wouldn’t want to loose our access or our account due to not going by the Fitbit Rules & guidelines. As Non Fitbit Accounts can’t collect “ not caring if they loose access or their accounts! They simply open another account & their deviant behavior continues. I’ve been w/ Fitbit going on 5 years! I haven’t met a Non Fitbit account / person that’s interested in anything other then taking advantage of me & other Fitbit Steppers, either by wanting a hookup off site! Asking for sexual favors’ naked pictures nothing is off limits! For these sexual predator, or their wanting your personal information ‌‌ Or they try to sale you their “get rich scheme”. Or a Fitbit enemy that wants to harass you personally w/ their fake accounts. I have not met a Non Fitbit account Owner That has a positive agenda! Not a single one in 4 years.  Also if FITBIT continues to allow non Fitbit Accounts to access FITBIT Forum! It Will destroy this fantastic forum! Many Fitbit friends are or have left Fitbit mainly because of Non Fitbit owners. We are exhausted of the scammers’ hatters’ Pervs’ using this “once great app” for their personal deviant agendas. It’s only going to get worse if Fitbit doesn’t make the necessary changes. Lastly why should we Paying Customers Fitbit Owners! Not be valued? In having anyone & everyone enjoy this wonderful forum as Non Fitbit accounts do?.  Why buy a Fitbit? Why invest in Fitbit? When anyone has access!.  FITBIT Make The Necessary Change! Before Your App / Forum Is Completely Destroyed By These “Scammer’s “ “Fake Accounts” 

Thank you 

LadyOfCali - Fitbit enthusiasts. 

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[SunsetRunner]

The community is becoming a hunting ground for scammers. The scammers never have any activity and use the platform to target vulnerable members. This would be a step in the right direction to curbing the problem and show willing on the part of the manufacturers. 

[oliverthom707]

I totally agree with this. I keep getting added by people who have no activity at all and are trying to scam me. It all leads up to the same story. They are widows and lonely. They want to chat on KiK and other platforms. It is so annoying because you have no way of knowing who is legit and who is not anymore.

[SunsetRunner]

From this weekend until yesterday I had to deal with three men making me proposals and finished offending me.

Why if this is a fitness platform do we have to tolerate those kinds of jerks?  I have screenshots of all three conversations and exposed them in various groups.  
Although I reported all those trash Fitbit doesn’t do anything about our complaints.

My question is, what are they waiting for?

If you need the screenshots I have them to make Fitbit give us a solution.  I am tired of this situation and I am considering to leave this app and get another device.

This is a health site and not for flirting or scammers!!!! 😡

[MichBr]

Yes, block users with no device

[Rich_Laue]

What is your definition of no device? We have many that use the mobile track feature found on the Fitbit app as an alternative to purchasing a Fitbit tracker. Fitbit even encourages this as a trial.

[nit3ghadge]

@Rich_Laue I have suggested another way to mark users with signs which has device and which doesn't.

[AmyM]

And using the mobile track feature found on the Fitbit app as an alternative to purchasing a Fitbit tracker is a problem; it’s how scammers get access to legitimate Fitbit users who actually own a Fitbit tracker.  If you do not have a Fitbit tracker, you should not have access to the Fitbit app; it should be for Fitbit tracker users only.  This would weed out those using the app solely to find targets in the community to scam.  This is neither safe nor fair to legitimate Fitbit tracker users.  

[Tdubs79]

Agreed!!! No more creeps!!  It’s my only complaint and it’s severe enough to stop using the site!  

[SunsetRunner]

I agree also!  If you have no device you can’t create an account.

Scammers and creepers create as many accounts as they wish and since the quarantine this situation seems to get worse.

[ALP1961]

This is an idea I have thrown out to Fitbit on numerous occasions and thought with enough feedback from the community they might implement it. Before anyone can create an account in the App, they must have linked a Fitbit device before completion of the account. This would cut down on the Majority of the spam accounts that get in on a daily basis.

[Odyssey13]

while I see this might work, it can also prevent people who wish to explore their purchase options from being able to see the forums. There are many who join a forum to read about products or ask questions of those who own them. If people couldn't join without a Fitbit, then many people might never buy one. With scammers crawling all over the internet, no matter what is done, they'd find a way to slither under the door. 

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @ALP1961, thanks for explaining why you think it's best to don't allow users to create Fitbit accounts unless they have Fitbit devices. Thanks for sharing your feedback. I've moved it into a similar request.  A lot of users are asking for this option, I hope we receive updates soon. 

[ALP1961]

I've posted it on most all the accounts I mark as Spam. I will continue to
try and rid Our Community of them every chance I get. It never used to be
as bad as it is now. At one point this past month or two I was getting
roughly 5 to 8 requests per day, I would guess 98% of them are now gone. I
know of some members who have now moved on because of the spam here and
that's just sad. Something Has to change for the better.

Alan L Patrick