Updated

Updated · The Southern · Aug 21

IDOT Offers Job Application Help at Du Quoin State Fair, Highlighting Snowbird Winter Roles

Updated

Updated · The Southern · Aug 21

IDOT Offers Job Application Help at Du Quoin State Fair, Highlighting Snowbird Winter Roles

Q: Beyond hiring snowplow drivers, why is the state transportation department suddenly warning fairgoers about deceptive text message scams?

IDOT is warning fairgoers because a current “smishing” scam is falsely using the agency’s name, not because the fair itself is tied to hiring alone. Fraudsters are sending text messages claiming people owe money for traffic tickets, tolls or other fines and trying to push them into clicking links or paying immediately. The department’s fair exhibit is meant to drive people to legitimate state information and job applications, so the scam warning serves a practical purpose: it helps residents distinguish real IDOT outreach from fake messages impersonating the agency. That matters especially when IDOT is publicly promoting online applications and interacting with large crowds at the Du Quoin State Fair. IDOT has said these texts are not legitimate department messages. The agency’s guidance is to avoid clicking the links, not provide personal or financial information, and report the messages to the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. In short, the warning is a consumer-protection step tied to an active impersonation scam. As IDOT uses the fair to recruit workers and share project information, it is also trying to make sure the public knows what authentic communication from the department looks like.

2 articles · Updated · The Southern · Aug 21

Expo Hall visitors at the Du Quoin State Fair can get direct help from Illinois Department of Transportation staff applying online for seasonal and full-time jobs.
IDOT is also using the exhibit to brief fairgoers on transportation projects in their communities, pairing public outreach with recruiting.
Available openings include the department’s snowbird program, which adds staffing for winter snow and ice removal.
Job listings are posted at illinois.jobs2web.com, where applicants can review openings before or during the fair.