The Ministry of Education is warning the public about fraudulent social media posts claiming the Ministry is offering free scholarships to people aged 18-65.

The Facebook post, which attracted hundreds of locals and overseas viewers –some recognising it as a scam, others not – was posted by a fake account called Discountinfo_fr.

The post accompanied a photo of Prime Minister Mark Brown, the Cook Islands flag and a link to further false advertising that could expose people to online scams.

“From March 10, 2025, the Cook Islands National Ministry of Education will offer free online courses to everyone between 18 and 65 years old. There are more than 1,000 courses to choose from, the courses last for four weeks, and a certificate is guaranteed,” the fake post read.

The post, which gained significant traction on social media, was removed yesterday following the Ministry’s efforts to have it taken down.

Secretary of Education, Owen Lweis confirmed that the post is a scam and added that the Ministry’s Facebook page was blocked off from viewing the post.

“We’ve got it sorted. We’ve reported the scam to Facebook and posted a warning on our Facebook page to alert readers that it is a scam,” Lewis told this newspaper.

“Unfortunately, we have no information on its origin or who is responsible, nor do we have any control over it.”

According to Lewis, it appears that someone simply created a post and shared it on the Ministry’s Facebook page.

“For some reason, the post is not visible on our Facebook page, so we are unable to see it or block it,” he added.

This is not the first time that this account has created fraudulent posts with links and Cook Islands is not the only country targeted.

Last year, members from government and the private sector met to tackle the increasing risks posed by cybercrime, which had been victimising many locals, some of whom were unaware of the risks.

They met during a four-day training programme carried out in Rarotonga, a collaborative effort between WebSafe Samoa, Pacer Plus, and the Cook Islands’ Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB).

The programme addressed the urgency of cyber threats that are already impacting the Pacific region.

Assistant Minister responsible to the Prime Minister Sonny Williams shared alarming statistics on financial losses due to scams, noting that approximately $350,000 was defrauded from Cook Islands residents some five years ago.

He also recounted a personal story of a man who lost $80,000 in personal savings to a scam, illustrating the emotional and financial toll of cybercrime on individuals.