Watch: Kindergarten Cops Return to Fight Tax Fraud

Watch the video at the bottom of this post.

Those pint-sized cops and robbers who warned folks about the hazards of holiday-related crime are back on the street with an encore performance just in time for tax season.

The latest installment of the Boca Raton Police Department’s “Kindergarten Cops” video series hones on the potential for tax fraud and identity theft as the April filing deadline looms.

The video picks up with the two adorable “bad guys” from the Christmas videos being released from jail. Not sure what to do next, the two decide it’s the perfect time to swipe a few identities for fast cash.

Sprung from the slammer, the teeny bandits go on an auto burglary spree in search of information that will enable them to take someone else’s identity – and cash. Unfortunately for the “victim,” the pair are successful and he finds himself without the tax return he expected.

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“Preventing tax fraud” isn’t “child’s play,” the video’s miniature police woman warns.

Boca Raton Police concur.

To help people avoid the pitfalls, they recommend these steps to safeguard personal information:

• File returns early to stop someone else from doing so
• Make sure home WiFi networks are password secured
• If there are doubts about Internet security, mail in a return instead.
• Do not respond to requests for information by phone or email. The IRS, the agency points out, will only contact taxpayers via regular mail.
• Use paper shredders to destroy documents that are no longer needed and include personal identifying information, such as bank statements, credit card statements and tax preparation documents
• Call the IRS ID Theft Protection Unit at 1-800-908-4490 if it is believe a Social Security number has been compromised

For a complete list of tips, check out the Boca Raton Police Department’s Facebook page.

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