Step Challenge Step Audits
Periodically, HealthyWage will ask certain participants to provide proof of the steps they reported for one or more days in the challenge. If the participant cannot provide proof, and if HealthyWage's process determines that the person has cheated, the person will be disqualified.
Audits are triggered in two ways: (1) randomly, and (2) when our proprietary algorithm detects suspicious step reporting. You will generally not be audited if you use automatic syncing (available currently for Fitbit users).
Acceptable proof depends on how you are tracking your steps:
- Devices that sync with an app or website (e.g., iPhone, Android phones, Fitbit, Garmin, Withings, Moov, Misfit, etc.): you will usually just need to provide a screenshot from the app or website showing the steps for the day(s) in question. (If you use your phone to track your steps, be sure to select an app to manage the tracking -- e.g., you can use the Fitbit app -- without a Fitbit -- to track iPhone steps.)
- Devices that do not sync with an app or website (e.g., GCC Pulse): you will usually be asked to share your daily photo for the day(s) in question. The daily photo is the photo you must take -- if and only if you use a device that does not sync with an app or website -- each day, showing your device (with steps visible on the display) and a newspaper (or the New York Times website homepage) in the background.
If you are an honest person and are concerned about getting hassled or disqualified, don't be. Our goal is eliminating cheating without ruining the experience for the vast, vast majority who are honest.
