By Stephen Kyne CFP

Financial fraud is a growing concern in our increasingly digital world. With cybercriminals constantly finding new ways to scam unsuspecting victims, it is more important than ever to protect yourself from becoming a target. Here are five simple things you can do to help safeguard your finances and avoid falling victim to financial fraud.

Monitor your accounts regularly

One of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself from financial fraud is to monitor your accounts regularly. By keeping a close eye on your bank statements, credit card statements, and online accounts, you’ll be more likely to spot any unauthorized transactions and take action to rectify the situation. Set up alerts with your financial institutions to notify you of any unusual activity, such as large withdrawals or transfers, and report any discrepancies immediately.

Use strong and unique passwords

Another easy way to protect yourself from financial fraud is to use strong and unique passwords for all of your online accounts. Avoid using easily guessable passwords like “123456” or “password” and instead opt for a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. Additionally, use different passwords for each of your accounts to minimize the risk of a hacker gaining access to all of your sensitive information if one account is compromised. Consider using a password manager to generate and store strong passwords securely.

Be cautious with personal information

Be cautious when sharing your personal information online or over the phone. Scammers often use phishing emails, fake websites, and phone calls to trick victims into disclosing sensitive information like Social Security numbers, account numbers, and passwords. Take the time to verify the legitimacy of any request for personal information before providing it, especially if you did not initiate the contact. 

By Christine Graf

More than a year after announcing plans to build a new Bass Pro Shops in Clifton Park, the sporting goods retailer has received final site plan approval from the Town of Clifton Park Planning Board. Construction is expected to begin this summer on the 77,000-square-foot store at 400 Clifton Park Center Road.

According to Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett, Bass Pro Shops could not move forward with construction until the company received final approval from federal and state agencies. 

“There was a lot of speculation about why the town was holding them up, but it had nothing to do with us,” he explained. “They had to complete a process over and above what was required by the town. As far as the town was concerned, they had satisfied all of our requirements some time ago.”

Bass Pro Shops’ decision to build a store in Clifton Park was the culmination of several years of discussions between the retailer and town officials.

By Jill Nagy

After several years of relying on vending machines, visitors to Moreau Lake State Park can once again enjoy real food served by real people. Big Tony’s at the Lake opened May 25 and the place has been busy every day, according to Anthony (Big Tony) Schunk, owner of the business along with his wife, Amy.

The Schunks got into the business almost by chance. They did a lot of cooking for Northway Church in Stillwater, sometimes serving as many as 700 people. That led to developing Big Tony’s Meal Prep, their meal prep business out of the local Elks Lodge. People asked if they could have the meals brought to them for parties and large gatherings, leading to Big Tony’s Catering.  A fortuitous visit to Moreau State Park led to an offer to take over the concession stand for the summer. They signed a five-year contract with New York state, beginning this summer. Their eatery is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They may squeeze in a few more weekends in October, Schunk said. 

The Schunks and a staff of eight keep both the Stillwater and the park businesses going.

At the lake, Big Tony’s offers snacks and family-style meals. Customer favorites include smashburgers, spicy chicken sandwiches, soft-serve ice cream, and the family-style meals. They also cater to campers, he said. Full meals are served Monday to Friday. The restaurant serves breakfast on Saturdays.

Staff Report

A host of major first-floor Clubhouse renovations, including a new horseshoe-shaped Jim Dandy bar, will greet racing fans at Saratoga this year.

Such work is the latest in a series of significant Clubhouse capital improvements, which last year featured upgrades to the Finish Line Grill and Modelo Finish Line Bar.

“As always, our goal is to offer fans an improved experience while balancing the history and tradition of this cherished venue,” said David O’Rourke, New York Racing Association president and chief executive officer. “These are important investments which guarantee a successful future for Saratoga Race Course.”

 The historic track hosted racing’s third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes (Saturday, June 8) for the first time ever as reconstruction of Belmont Park continues in Queens. Saratoga will host the Belmont next year as well.

 The race was the highlight of a four-day Belmont Stakes Festival in Saratoga, which brought unprecedented international exposure to the city while generating a multi-million-dollar economic impact.

Five Corners Development, a local residential developer based in Saratoga Springs, joined its national partner,The NRP Group, recently to present a multi-phase concept plan for the redevelopment of the Albany-Saratoga Speedway to the Malta Town Board. Once approved, the planned development will transform the roughly 50-acre property into a vibrant retail and residential neighborhood along the busy Route 9 corridor through northern Malta, adding hundreds of units of housing and compelling retail concepts along the gateway of a growing community.

The partners have recently placed the property under contract after learning of the landowner’s desire to sell the site as raw land through a local brokerage company. Currently, there is no closing date set and the racetrack is anticipated to continue running at least through its 60th anniversary racing season in 2025.

The initial development process began with a presentation to Malta’s Town Board. Planning reviews are expected to commence over the coming months.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Hannoush Jewelers has opened a new shop in Queensbury at 1054 Route 9. It is the third location for two brothers who “happen to be part of a big family of jewelers” according to David Hannoush, who co-owns the Albany, Clifton Park, and now Queensbury retail stores with his brother, Albert.

“Our father is the oldest of eight brothers and Albert and I are the oldest of 36 first cousins,” said Hannoush. There are about 50 Hannoush Jewelers stores in 13 states, independently owned by different family members, he said.

The store has opened just in time for the wedding season. Hannoush said the main market for their products is the groom or bride-to-be, along with anyone shopping for quality jewelry for an anniversary or other special occasion. 

The co-owners have been in partnership for upwards of two decades and decided to break with tradition some years ago by leaving the strip mall setting behind in favor of free-standing buildings. Hannoush said as a result, their stores “have become a little more high-end than when we started out.”

By Paul Post

If he ever feels the need for a career change, David Andrade would make a great big league general manager.

“Building a company is almost like building a baseball team,” said the new president of Queensbury-based StoredTech. “We’re definitely looking for veterans out there who have done it before. But we also want the new person who is hungry, willing to put in the time and effort, and wants to learn and grow with an organization.”

Andrade succeeds Mark Shaw, who founded StoredTech 14 years ago and continues as its chief executive officer.

“I really looked in the mirror and said, ‘Obviously we want to continue to grow StoredTech in a massive way’,” Shaw said. “We’ve doubled and tripled growth almost every year. But as a business owner it’s easy to make mistakes. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to shortcut some of the mistakes we might make.’ The best way to do that and continue accelerated growth is to bring in somebody who’s done this before at a bigger scale, a bigger level, somebody who is aligned with our goals and company mantra of ‘customer delight’.”

StoredTech is a leading, full managed service provider that supports hundreds of clients with all aspects of IT so they can focus on their core business. StoredTech not only implements clients’ technology, but monitors it as well. 

“We insure that the client is getting all they can out of the technology they’re utilizing,” Andrade said. “A lot of managed service providers sell technology. StoredTech is selling not only solutions, but the use of technology and how to become a better, much more competitive business with the use of technology. That’s much different than what I’ve seen in the industry over the years.”

By Christine Graf

After several years spent living in Atlanta, Travelmation travel advisor Jaime Leslie has returned home to the Capital Region. The Shenendehowa High School and Southern New Hampshire University graduate became interested in working in the travel industry after visiting Walt Disney World for the first time when she was 26 years old. 

After setting her sites on a career in travel—one that focused on planning Disney vacations—Leslie applied to several agencies.

“They said I didn’t have enough experience with Disney parks and resorts, so I applied to the Disney College Program,” she said.

After Leslie was accepted into the program, she spent five months living and working at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. 

“That’s where the Disney part of my career really bloomed,” she said. “After being a cast member, I got to know what the company stands for, so I know why it’s a great choice for a vacation no matter your age. I learned so much in terms of planning  and customer service.”