The administrator of the private Facebook group, Rarotonga Community and Beyond, has clarified the group’s stance on posting personal identification items online, following a police caution about the potential risks of such posts.

Janette Olliver, an admin for the group, emphasised that while the page does not allow the posting of personal identification items with full details, occasional errors do occur.

“We have a rule where we don’t put personal identification cards that have full details,” Olliver told Cook Islands News.

“About two weeks ago, I reminded a couple of our admins that we need to remember. They’re not particularly our group’s rules, they’re Facebook policies.”

Olliver explained that any post containing a personal identification item must meet specific criteria before being approved.

“They need to fit within a certain criterion. If it does have blacked out except for the name and photo then we approve the post,” she said.

Despite these measures, occasional lapses happen, according to Olliver.

“But of course, there’s different admins and they lose track of the ones that goes out,” Olliver said. “We approve every single post.”

She stressed that human errors do occur, but admins are regularly reminded of the rules.

“As it stands, we do not as part of our rules, we do not approve (any post) if it has those certain (things),” she explained. “However, due to different errors, things will slip through. Human error do happen but we do remind (people) and our admin about those things.”

Olliver reaffirmed that the group, which has over 17,000 members, remains committed to minimising risks.

“Mainly, our rule is to not approve posts that come with those information.”

The police caution came after several social media posts featuring lost items, including credit cards, driver’s licences, and passports, were shared online.

Police spokesperson Trevor Pitt advised that such posts could expose owners to identity theft or fraud.

“The safest bet is to utilise the Police in terms of lost and found properties, especially in terms of drivers’ licences,” Pitt said.

“Registering items with Police provides an important time frame as this could be telling in cases of identity theft or fraud.”

Pitt also noted that lost items could have been dumped by thieves and should be reported to authorities for verification.

“So far this month, we’ve had six recorded lost properties, including passports and phones,” he said last month.

While there is no specific law in the Cook Islands prohibiting the online posting of lost personal identification items, individuals who misuse such information could potentially face consequences under broader fraud or identity theft laws.

According to Pitt, police will continue to urge the public to return lost items to the police headquarters to ensure proper handling and to prevent potential risks associated with online exposure.