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If you’re traveling internationally, you may need to renew your passport. Consumers unaware of the passport renewal process may fall victim to online scams. These scams trick U.S. citizens into paying a fee to fill out a renewal form that is a free download on the government’s website. As a result, consumers may be tricked into providing their personal and financial information on potentially unsecured websites.

As of this writing in June 2024, eligible U.S. citizens can renew their passports online through a new test system. If you do not qualify for online renewal or do not want to use the online renewal system, you can still renew your passport by mail.

How the scam works

You have planned an exciting international trip, so you go online and search for how to renew your passport. At the top of your search results is what appears to be the U.S. passport renewal website. The site tells you what forms need to be provided and that you can fill out the forms right there. You’re asked to provide your personal information, such as your social security number, home address, birth date, and much more.After completing the form, you’re asked to pay a “processing fee” or an “application fee.” You’re then told that you’ll receive your completed form as a PDF in an email confirmation. (Easy!)

When you receive your confirmation email with your completed PDF form, you are told that you still need to pay money for the actual renewal of your passport. At this moment, you may realize you’ve been scammed into paying to fill out a form instead of actually paying to renew your passport. On top of that, you may have just handed your personal and financial information over to a scammer.

BBB Scam Tracker has received reports of online passport renewal scams. One consumer shared the following experience, “I went into the site assuming it was the State.gov site because it resembled it completely, including the URL. I did not notice that it ended as state.com, not state.gov. By the time I had submitted the application for my passport renewal and payment, I noticed that it was a fraud by the language on the confirmation page.”

Another consumer reported this experience, "I went online to renew my father's passport. I inputted all his personal information and was charged 68.00--this company is posing as a government agency and scamming people."

How to avoid similar scams

Do your research. Before renewing your passport, look up the most recent information on the renewal process. Check with the U.S. government to confirm if online renewal services are available for passports. Remember that you should not have to pay a fee to fill out the required forms for a passport renewal – you’ll only need to provide payment for the renewal itself.

Give yourself plenty of time when renewing your passport. Processing times for passport renewals can change often. In addition to the indicated processing times, you should also consider the time it takes for your passport to arrive at the passport agency and then be mailed back to your home address. Check state.gov to see current processing times and plan ahead. Giving yourself plenty of time may reduce your likelihood of searching for quicker options, some of which could be scams. You can expedite your passport renewal with the U.S. government for an extra fee, but it may take several weeks.

Confirm the website’s URL before providing sensitive information. It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or an impostor website without noticing. Remember, government websites end in .gov but always take a closer look. Scammers can trick you into thinking URLs look legitimate when they aren’t. Before typing in sensitive information, check that the website and link are secure.

Be wary of third-party websites. There are legitimate passport assistance services, but check with BBB.org and BBB Scam Tracker first to ensure you aren’t sharing your personal or financial information with a scammer.

If you see a scam or fall victim to one, help others by reporting it to BBB Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker.

The Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast is pleased to announce its 2024-2025 Ogle Center Presents season.

“The Ogle Center is where our community comes together to share its mutual love of the arts in southern Indiana,” said Kirk Randolph, Ogle Center director. “We have assembled an exciting variety of performances by nationally-touring groups along with the return of the annual Holiday Pops concerts that have become a family tradition for so many.”

According to Randolph, “the Ogle Center really has been the heart of arts and entertainment for the southern Indiana region for nearly 30 years, and we’re thrilled to be able to add to the quality of life for our community.”

Along with its signature series, THE OGLE CENTER PRESENTS, the Ogle Center is pleased to welcome back the LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA for its 2024-2025 NightLites series of concerts, featuring incredible classical pieces presented in the intimate setting of the Ogle Center’s Stem Concert Hall. Audiences can also enjoy performances by the students of the IU Southeast Music Department and the IU Southeast Theatre Department.

In addition to live performances, the Ogle Center will continue to host university events, lectures, art exhibits, and other community events.

Tickets go on sale August 19, 2024.

Tickets should be purchased online at oglecenter.com. In-person ticket sales are by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, email the Ogle Center at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (812) 941-2525.

Free parking for Ogle Center events is available in the Dogwood lot directly in front of the Ogle Center and the Hickory lot directly behind the Ogle Center from one hour prior to the start of a performance until one hour following the conclusion of the event. Vehicles parked in other locations and/or at other times may be subject to ticketing.

For more information about the 2024-2025 season, please visit oglecenter.com or call (812) 941-2525.

By: Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

Senior citizens and retirees—if you think there is nothing to do, then you need to visit the Salem-Washington Co. Senior Center. It’s located at 1705 North Shelby St. in Salem and is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Their calendar each month is full of activities.

In August, there is Bingo every Monday. Some Mondays feature a euchre partners tournament.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the main event is free access to the YMCA for physical activities. The YMCA is in the same complex and open to the Senior Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sewing and Euchre is a mainstay on Tuesdays as well.

On Wednesdays, it is time for line dancing, and this month Salem Strings is on the lineup. Scattered out on Wednesdays are Yahtzee, crafts, and a birthday lunch.

Thursday highlights include sewing, euchre, painting, and a cornhole tournament. In the evening at 7 p.m. it’s time for the bands.

Fridays are a light day with Phase 10, golf, domino tournaments and Yahtzee.

The monthly Friday features are the day trips, which are limited to 20. This month’s trip is to Edinburgh Outlet. Two buses leave at 10 a.m. and stop for lunch at Montana Mikes. At the mall, everybody unloads to shop whereever they like, until the bus leaves about 3:30 p.m. The drivers are Director Naomi Raye and Tom Fultz of the Salem Parks and Recreation.

The Salem Senior Center's phone number is 812-883-4986. The fee for yearly membership is only $10. Membership is open to those over 50 years of age.

Many people are looking forward to fun festivals this summer. As usual, scammers are taking advantage of the building excitement. This time, they are cashing in with phony tickets—and even fake events.

How the scam works

You see a fantastic deal on tickets to a summer festival in your area, usually through a link on social media. The event promises live music, all-you-can-eat meals, craft beer or wine, or other fun activities.

When you click the social media link, it takes you to a professional website with fantastic pictures. You enter your credit card information to buy tickets and think you are all set. But before you buy, do a little research. Whether the event is non-existent, merely disappointing, or you just bought phony tickets, the result is the same: someone pockets your hard-earned money!

BBB Scam Tracker has received numerous reports from people who purchased fake tickets to actual events or events that have yet to materialize.

A customer in Memphis reported buying tickets for $220 for a concert: "I saw an offer for presale tickets for the group Khruangbin for a concert. I clicked on the links and it lead me to what looked like a legit site until I realized that they are a resellers site and had marked up the ticket prices tremendously. The prices were also in USD and the service charge was astounding. I contacted the company right away but they just dismiss and ignore. They are SCAMMERS and need to be off the market. They have scammed lots of people and it is very humiliating and stressful."

One consumer who purchased tickets to a fake beer crawl reported: “Reviews across multiple platforms make it clear that these events are at best extremely misleading or at worst canceled. No refunds are given, even when their inconsistent and mostly-unreachable customer service email address responds to confirm a refund will be provided.”

How to spot a fake festival

Research before you buy. Search online for the festival's name and ensure the name advertised matches the website. Scammers often use names that sound similar to those of real festivals.

Check for (working) contact information. The festival website should have a real phone number and email address.

Watch out for prices that sound too good to be true. There is no way a festival can offer tickets at extremely low prices without losing money. If the prices are much lower than elsewhere, it's likely a scam.

What can you do?

Pay with a credit card. You can dispute the charges if the business doesn't come through. Be wary of online sellers that don’t accept credit cards.

Look for secure sites. The website should begin with HTTPS (the extra “s” is for security) and have a lock symbol on the address bar.

Avoid tickets sold on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other free online listings. Scammers are skilled at providing realistic tickets and fake receipts. Check out third-party ticket sites at BBB.org before making purchases.

For general information on how to avoid scams, visit BBB.org/AvoidScams.

If you’ve spotted an event scam, report it to BBB ScamTracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 9, 2024) — Yesterday, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture announced the winners of the 2024 Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest. The winning photographs will be displayed in the lieutenant governor’s Family of Business offices in Indianapolis throughout the next year.

“Indiana has so many gifted photographers that truly know how to showcase Indiana agriculture through their talents,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “This year's winning photos perfectly captured the Hoosier spirit and farming tradition to the highest degree.”

The winning photos were chosen from hundreds of entries in the following four categories: Agritourism, Conservation, Faces of Agriculture and On the Farm. Two winners were selected from each category, along with two winners overall.

To be considered, the photo had to be taken in the state by an Indiana resident. The photos were evaluated by a panel of independent judges based on creativity, composition and category representation.

“This year we received nearly 400 photo submissions in the Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest,” said Don Lamb, Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director. “Each of the submissions received captured the essence of Indiana agriculture and we look forward to sharing the images with you throughout the year."

The following list includes the photo contest winners for 2024:

Agritourism Category