SOSMagAprilJune2022

Scammed: It Can Happen to Anyone Sandy Deem, is a professional organizer, found by “googling” the words downsizing and organizing cleveland, ohio. I interviewed her for this article to share some tips and tricks on how to downsize in later life. Sandy studied under Karen Kingston, the author of the book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui and applies what she has learned in her professional work. She highly recommends reading that book as it will get you motivated to really toss the clutter. She also recommends The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, by Margareta Magnusson. If you intend to be your own clutter-buster, here is a Clutter Test to start your quest to downsize. With each item you are contemplating to keep or throw/give away, ask yourself: 1. Does it uplift my energy when I think about it or look at it? She says, “Your body knows and Down Sizing in Later Life By Sue Daugherty it never lies. If it makes you feel good, the item in question stays. If it doesn’t make you feel good, that item needs to leave your life” 2. Do I absolutely love it? If you’re not sure, Sandy recommends asking, “If you love it, do you already have enough of that type of item (i.e., a vase)? Does it have a sad association in your life? Does it really inspire you or is it just nice? Am I only keeping it because of who gave it to me?” 3. Is it genuinely useful? To clarify, Sandy explains, “If the answer is yes, ask yourself, ‘When was the last time you used it?’ ‘When are you likely to use it again?’ She adds, “If you haven’t used it for over a year then donate it to someone who will love it and use it.” For more information about Sandy Deem and her business Deem Designs, you can contact her at: (440) 667-8249 or sandy@deemdesigns.com or www.DeemDesigns.com . Margaret was almost scammed out of $1,000.00. She said it was at a time when she was younger and still working. In other words, she was interacting with more people, more socially connected and more aware of things compared to when one is retired. This is what happened… Margaret received a call from someone impersonating Microsoft. The male caller told her that there was a virus on her computer and he could fix it, but she would have to pay $1,000.00 by credit card. As she was digging through her purse to find her wallet, Margaret’s two sons walked into the house. They asked her, “Who are you talking to?” She replied, “SShhhhh! I have a virus on my computer and this person is going to fix it. I have to pay him.” Both of her boys told her, “Hang up, Mom! It’s a scam!” Margaret hung up before giving away any personal information. As it turned out, her computer was not infected and did not need to be repaired. Margaret’s story is just one of a million others. Today, it is no longer safe to answer your phone. There are thousands of perpetrators trolling the phones looking for opportunities to financially exploit an unsuspecting person. Don’t answer your phone. Screen your calls by letting the call go to your answering machine or voicemail. If it is a friend or family member, they will leave a message. Otherwise, don’t return the call. Or if you want to be certain the caller is not a scammer, call Serving Our Seniors ( 419-624-1856 ). We can return the call, using 3-way calling, and screen caller for you. 10