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If you are applying for jobs online, do your research before accepting an interview or employment offer. Job scammers have gotten very sophisticated, convincingly claiming to represent real employers, requiring interviews, and even providing phony offer letters. These cunning new twists on traditional job scams have increased in BBB's Scam Tracker. In fact, according to BBB's latest Scam Tracker Risk Report, employment scams were identified as the number one riskiest scam for people ages 18-44 in 2023.

How the scam works
You apply for a job online through a reputable, third-party job-seeking site, or you see a posting for a remote job on social media and message the poster. A few days or weeks later, you get a text message or email asking if you are still interested in the position or a similar one at the same company. Since you made your contact information available to your potential employer when applying, the message doesn't strike you as unusual.

If you reply to the message, the scammer will invite you to interview for the job. However, this is when red flags start to appear. Instead of a traditional interview over the phone or on a video call, the "employer" asks you to download a messaging app to conduct the interview over text messaging.

For example, one person told BBB Scam Tracker about their experience with a job scam: "I saw someone post on Facebook about a work from home opportunity with [company name redacted]. I expressed interest and she messaged me telling me to download the signal messenger app, and then I would have a text interview...they asked me some interview questions then proceeded to tell me I was a perfect fit for the job and asked for personal information...At this point, I felt like the entire situation was [a] scam."

After a few questions, you're offered the position on the spot, with great pay and benefits. Your new "employer" may even send you a convincing offer letter. Before or after you receive your "job offer," the phony employer may also ask you to complete a form with your personal and banking information, claiming they need it for direct deposit. In other cases, the scammer may ask you to set up a home office, either with your funds or money they’ll send you in a fake check.

How to avoid job scams
Research the person who contacted you. If you suspect the person contacting you could be a scammer, look them up. A quick online search should reveal if they work for the company they claim to represent. If you're still not sure after doing some research, find the company's contact information on their official website (check the URL) and reach out to them directly to ask if they are indeed hiring for the position you're applying for.

Do more research on the company. You may have done this before you applied for the position. Still, if you get a surprise offer to interview, it's worth doing more research to learn more about their hiring process, home office requirements, salaries, and benefits packages. If these don't align with your offer, you could be dealing with a scammer.

Guard your personal and banking information. Never give sensitive information to anyone you aren't sure you can trust. Be especially wary if someone pressures you to divulge your information saying the job offer will only last if you fill out all the forms.

Watch out for overpayment scams. Many job scams involve sending fake checks with extra funds. Scammers ask their victims to deposit the check and send back the excess amount, hoping they'll do so before they realize the check was fake and has bounced. Legitimate companies will only send you money after you've done work for them, so be wary of jobs that involve receiving and returning the money.

Don't get fooled by reshipping scams. If you're on the hunt for a remote position, you may come across a job at a "shipping" or "logistics" business that asks you to receive packages, inspect them for damages, and then ship the items back out to other addresses. These jobs promise easy money but are cons and help scammers move potentially illegally obtained goods. In most cases, you won't get paid.

Don't fall for jobs that seem too good to be true. They probably are. If you are offered a job - without a formal interview - that has excellent pay and benefits, it's likely a scam.

If you spot a scam, report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker to help others avoid falling victim to similar tactics.

Pork Riblets have been named Indiana Pork's "Taste of the Fair" food at the 2024 Indiana State Fair. They will be served at the three Indiana Pork tents for $11 from Friday, August 2 to Sunday, August 18 (closed on Mondays).

The signature food, which features a smaller portion of traditional pork ribs, is paired with three unique sauces: Hot Honey, Nelson's Red Sauce, and Citrus Explosion.

The Pork Riblets come from baby back ribs, which are leaner and more tender than ribs that come from a spare rack. For fairgoers that are looking for a healthier food option, this is the choice for them.

"Indiana Pork is happy to feature our "Taste of the Fair" option that is not only delicious, but highlights the nutritional value of pork," said Jeanette Merritt, Director of Communications at Indiana Pork. "Our Pork Riblets and sure to please everyone who comes to the fair!"

Indiana Pork has featured a wide variety of foods for "Taste of the Fair". The Garbage Burger, Pork Boat, and Loaded Pit-Tatoes are a few signature foods that were so popular they earned a permanent spot on the menu.

"'Taste of the Fair" features something that is a bit different and encourages fair guests to try something new," said Merritt. "These riblets are a smaller portion that can be shared like an appetizer with your family or enjoyed as an entrée."

Indiana Pork has three tents located on the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Tents can be found in front of the West Pavilion, Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, and near Pioneer Village.

Turning 65 soon? Retiring after the age of 65? These are just a few life events that can make you eligible for Medicare.

SHIP, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, wants to help people with Medicare, including people under 65 with disabilities, get more value from their health insurance dollars. SHIP provides consumers with free, impartial and confidential health insurance counseling regarding Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap), Medicare Advantage Plans, Long Term Care Plans, and finding help with prescription costs. We can also help you enroll in the program(s) of your choice. SHIP counselors can assist with low-income assistance applications, as well as referrals to other similar programs.

SHIP has more than 147 sites and over 463 trained and certified counselors throughout Indiana. Our counselors can assist you in person, by phone, or virtually. Look for a SHIP site near you at www.in.gov/ship/find -an indiana -ship -location.

SHIP offers presentations and educational events throughout Indiana. Look for a SHIP event near you at www.in.gov/ship/ship-presentations-and-events.

What else can SHIP do to help you?

Help you evaluate the various Medicare Part D, Medicare supplement insurance policies (Medigap), Medicare Advantage, and Long Term Care Insurance policies currently available in Indiana.
Help you enroll in the plan(s) of your choice.
Help with applications for assistance programs that help pay for uncovered Medicare costs.
Inform you of your rights as a Medicare beneficiary or health insurance policyholder.
Provide educational videos, webinars, materials, and brochures.
Educate you to understand Medicare, file claims, and appeal Medicare decisions.
Refer you to appropriate agencies where you can get help with other needs.
Provide speakers to make presentations to groups.

Learn more about what SHIP can do to help your transition to Medicare at www.Medicare.in.gov. You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X, and LinkedIn. Contact SHIP directly during standard business hours at (800) 452-4800.

July 9, 1941 Don McPherson, R&B singer Everybody Plays the Fool, born in Portland.

July 10, 1899 Nobel Sissle, jazz composer, singer, lyricist and playwright I'm Just Wild About Harry, born in Indianapolis

July 10, 1945 Ron Glass, actor Barney Miller, Frank's Place,born in Evansville.

July 11,1906 Harry Von Zell, radio announcer and actor The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, born in Indianapolis.

July 12, 1883 Lightning struck the science building at Indiana University. Fire destroyed the building and contents, which included university records and a 12,000 volume library.

Our Where in Indiana? from last week was taken in The Log Inn twelve miles north of Evansville and one mile east of US Hwy 41. The Log Inn was built in 1825 as a Noon Stage Coach Stop and Trading Post. They have been officially recognized as the oldest restaurant in Indiana.

Where in Indiana?

Do you know where this photograph was taken?

Visit us on Instagram to submit your answer.

Follow us on Instagram: @instatehousetouroffice

Indiana Statehouse Tour Office

Indiana Department of Administration

Guided Tours of the Indiana Statehouse are offered Monday through Saturday. For more information, contact us.

(317) 233-5293
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Indiana Quick Quiz

1.In what Indiana city will you find the Jennings County Courthouse?

2. What Indianapolis high school is named for the first casualty of the Boston Massacre?

3. In what Indiana city will you find the Culbertson Mansion?

4. Who was the youngest man ever to serve as Governor of Indiana?

Answers Below

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in IN

https://www.visitindiana.com/

Answers

1. Vernon

2. Crispus Attucks High School

3. New Albany

4. James Brown Ray

He was not quite 31 when he became Governor n 1825.

"Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail."

George Ade, Acclaimed Hoosier Humorist, Playwright, and proud Purdue University alum

Did you know purple cone flower is an Indiana native plant?

Ivy Harris of Salem will be departing soon for a Christian mission trip to Australia. She will be a sophmore at Indiana University Southeast this fall and is the daughter of Roy and Gretta Harris of Salem.

Ivy describes below how she came to be involved in this exciting experience:

Personal information about yourself:

I graduated Salem High School in 2023, and I just finished my first year of college at IU Southeast. I’m pursuing a business degree concentrated in accounting. I entered IUS on sophomore standing because I took dual credit and AP classes in high school; I’ll be graduating in three years rather than four.

On campus I'm involved in a Christian organization called Cru. I learned about this organization at the Student Involvement & Resource Fair during my first week of college, and I joined right away. It was important to me to have a community of Christian friends during my time at IUS. It’s common for believers to fall away from faith during their college years, and I didn’t want to be a part of that. This organization is on 8,919 campuses worldwide, and it offers a variety of mission trip opportunities all over the globe.

How did you get involved with the mission trip:

I felt like the Lord was calling me to go on my first mission, and my friend from IUS also felt the same way. We were on the Cru website scrolling through the different options and Australia stood out to both of us. We both applied online and decided to go through this together. After the application was reviewed by the mission leader, she called to give me more details about the trip and so we could ask each other any questions. Then, a week later, I got the email of acceptance to go on the mission trip.

Details about the venue:

The trip is in Sydney, Australia July 11-27. The team will be meeting and spending the night in Las Angeles, CA on July 10 to do some team building, then we will leave in the evening of July 11 to fly to Sydney. The team includes three staff members and there are seven of us students. The team is made up of staff and students in Cru from several different states including Texas, Minnesota, Florida, and North Carolina. In L.A., we’ll be staying at Aloft El Segundo Hotel. In Australia, we will be staying at Quest Macquarie Park, which is an apartment hotel.

Duties and activities expected of you:

My team and I will be partnering with the Cru staff and student leaders at the University of Sydney and Macquarie University (Power To Change is Cru’s official name in Australia). We will be welcoming and reaching out to international students on their campuses. There are 87,000+ international students in New South Wales. Most of those international students are from China, Korea, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. We will be evangelizing to these students and encouraging them to check out their campus’ Cru organization. On Mondays through Fridays we will be 9-5 working at the campuses, with some additional evening activities. Saturdays are for team outings/development. Sundays are for church and rest.

Info about the sponsoring organization:

Cru’s mission statement is to win, build and send Christ-centered multiplying disciples who launch spiritual movements. Cru was originally founded as Campus Crusade for Christ in 1951, when Bill and Vonette Bright began the ministry on the UCLA campus. God gave Bill a vision of the total fulfillment of the Great Commission throughout the world, starting with college students. Cru helps the body of Christ to do evangelism and discipleship in a variety of creative ways such as campus ministries, Cru’s city ministry, FamilyLife, Athletes in Action, Cru Military, and the “JESUS” film. Cru has more than 16,000 staff members in over 190 countries.

Personal experience with traveling and expectations:

This will be my first time out of the country and also my first time on a plane.
I hope to return with powerful stories of how I saw God moving during this mission trip.I’m excited to go to a new place and to focus solely on God for two and a half weeks. Although, I'm a little nervous about the flight as I've never been on a plane before.

I’m looking forward to building friendships with my team and sharing the gospel with the students in Australia.