Dunedin police yesterday encouraged people to instead use their old-fashioned lost-and-found service.
A quick scroll through Dunedin Facebook pages yesterday showed missing licences, bank cards and letters posted.
Some had sensitive details, such as bank card numbers, covered up, but others were not censored at all.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said even when taking these precautions, posting lost items on social media came with risks.
Any visible information could be used maliciously, Snr Sgt Bond said.
The best practice was not to put these images online in the first place.
"Just don’t do it."
Many items posted on Facebook were eventually handed in at the police station, but the delay meant the chances of finding the owner were reduced.
"We go through official channels and eight out of 10 times that works within the first 12 hours."
Snr Sgt Bond said people on Facebook groups had no way of verifying claims of ownership.
"People think they’re doing something good, but they’re just creating another middleman. Admins of these pages should remove the posts and contact police."
Despite the increase in people using social media for lost and found, the police service was as popular as ever, Snr Sgt Bond said.
- If you have lost or found an item either call the non-emergency number 105 or go the New Zealand police website and fill out a report.
By Rafael Clarke
