The old adages "there is no such thing as a free lunch" and "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" were the rallying cries during a "Protect Yourself from Identity Theft" workshop at the Joyce Budrow Senior Center March 11.

Gary Sklaver, a New Haven attorney, spoke to a group of senior citizens about the dangers of credit card fraud, Internet and telephone scams and identity theft.

Sklaver, the past president of the New Haven County Bar Association, has been practicing consumer rights litigation for the past 10 years and told seniors that due to new legislation and statutes giving lawyers the ability to charge violators with attorney's fees, people can now obtain legal services in identity theft cases that, in the past, cost the victim money.

Sklaver said seniors are often the targets of scams because they tend to be more trusting and are more likely to live alone. He added that seniors also tend to be lonely and are reluctant to hang up the telephone when a "friendly voice" is on the other end.

"Unfortunately, seniors are the perfect victims," he said.

Sklaver also noted that seniors that fall victim to fraud are often afraid to alert the police or tell a family member because they are embarrassed by the situation. He stressed that even if someone has become a victim of fraud, there are ways to act quickly to change the situation.

"If you put your head in the sand and think it is going to go away, it only gets worse," he said.

Sklaver said even though the computer is very useful, the Internet opens up a world of "spammers" and "phishers." He explained phishers send out e-mail solicitations in an attempt to retrieve other people's Social Security numbers and credit card numbers in order to open bank accounts.

Sklaver said phishers use a hard luck story to lure people into giving them personal information, which is used to obtain cash from their bank account. He showed the group an example of a fraudulent e-mail solicitation he received from Togo.

In regards to telephone scams, Sklaver said people should be aware of catch phrases like, "you're a winner," or "it won't cost you anything."

"Never give out your Social Security number, bank information or other personal information to a stranger on the telephone or in an e-mail," he said. "We all get these things and we all have to be careful."

Sklaver stressed that if anyone ever has a question about a suspicious call or e-mail, they should get a second opinion from an objective family member, senior center staff member, the police or an attorney.

"Seek advice before committing to anything," he said. "Hopefully that objective person you ask would tell you not to do it."

Sklaver said if someone is a victim of identity theft, or if a purse or a wallet is stolen with credit cards in it, people should place a fraud alert with any one of the Federal Credit Bureau's three companies, Equifax, Experian or TransUnion.

Sklaver also suggested obtaining an annual credit report, which is provided to individuals for free once a year.

He stressed memorizing personal identification numbers and keeping copies of credit and ATM cards in a safe place. He also suggested regularly checking bank statements.

"Keeping your numbers to yourself is the best way to keep your credit cards secure," he said.