Since October 2020, possibly tens of thousands of Finns have lived the same nightmare.
Tiina Parika’s therapy information was leaked online. Since then, there have been attempts to both blackmail and deceive him with the help of information. Kimmo Brandt / AOP
The evening was late when Tiina Parikka, 60, grabbed his phone as usual after the sauna. This time there was something unexpected. A grotesque blackmail message had arrived in the e-mail. Parikka found herself in the middle of a nightmare that is still not over.
It was October 2020. Parika was extorted money and threatened that her therapy information would be leaked online.
– A terrible panic struck. I felt like I was having a heart attack, a couple of times.
He describes the message as contemptible. It was draped in an overflowing kindness. It apologized that the extortionist had to demand money in this way. The reason was said that the therapy center has not agreed to the extortionists’ previous demands for compensation.
– Super gross.
Panic
Parikka is one of the victims of the Vastamo data breach at the psychotherapy center. His social security number and therapy information have been leaked to the dark web after a hacker managed to break into Vastaamo’s database.
– It feels absolutely terrible that my most personal information can somehow be trampled and trampled on in the market.
Tiina Parikka, 60, received an outrageous blackmail message in October 2020. Parikka was working as a principal at the time and there was enormous pressure at work. We lived through the corona pandemic, which was visible in schools. Inka Saviluoto
There is also a fear that the personal identification number and other information can be used to commit crimes.
After the blackmail message, Parikka began panicking to figure out how she could protect herself. He did, among other things, a self-imposed credit moratorium.
– That too has to be renewed every two years and is subject to a fee.
Another scam
Two and a half years after the blackmail message, Parikka was the target of another scam. He received a message urging him to log in to the suomi.fi website. Parika’s ID number was included in the message.
According to the police, more similar scams have been sent. The unifying factor was that the targets are victims of the Vastaamo burglary.
A criminal report was registered for the attempted fraud under the title attempt to defraud. The police stopped the investigation at the very beginning. There is no information about the perpetrator so far, but the police suspected that it was organized crime.
Parika’s personal information still seems to be public game.
Court soon
Aleksanteri Kivimäki, suspected of hacking, was caught in France. He was imprisoned in February in the district court of Länsi-Uusimaa. Henri Kärkkäinen
Now the case of the Vastaamo data breach is being considered for prosecution. A serious data breach and serious extortion crimes are suspected Aleksanteri Tomminpoika Kivimäki. He has previously also been known as Julius Kivimäki.
– It seems ridiculous that he is posing in front of the cameras, Parikka says.
Even though the case is still under consideration, the prosecutor and the district court have already anticipated the upcoming trial. The prosecutor has announced that he will not pursue the victims’ compensation claims and the district court has already asked the victims how many of them are possibly participating in the trial.
In addition to Parika, about 33,000 other victims of the data breach. This means an unimaginable number of interested parties who have the opportunity to participate in the future trial and demand compensation, if Kivimäki is found guilty of a crime.
– The position of the victim is extremely weak. Many victims have experienced tough things, which is why they have gone to therapy. Now they should know how to look for help and demand things, Parikka regrets.
He himself intends to apply for compensation. After the data breach, a commendable amount of money has been spent on securing your own information and doctor’s visits alone.
In Parika’s opinion, the long preliminary investigation and the limited resources of the authorities have caused the victims to rely on random access to information.
– A lot has depended on whether one knows how to be on the right channels and interpret the instructions correctly.
No information
The deputy judge has noticed the same problem Paula Pajula. He is a partner in two companies specializing in assisting crime victims. A few months ago, the companies started receiving contacts from Vastaamo’s victims who do not know their rights in the criminal process.
There was very little information available to the victims, and Pajula and his colleagues had the same conversations dozens of times. So the company formed vástamonuhrit.fito share information about claiming compensation.
Pajula has noticed that Vastaamo’s case strongly affects many victims even today. The victims are still afraid of the exploitation and spread of their information leaked online, and this distresses them.
Parikka says the same. He feels that society and decision-makers have left the victims alone. He is particularly disappointed that Vastaamo’s victims could not change their personal identification numbers.
– I understand that no one can erase the event. At the same time, I know that not everyone has the resources to seek help. Ours have been at breaking point with this as well.
THE FACTS
Psychotherapy center Vastaamo’s patient data ended up in the hands of a hacker in the fall of 2018.
In October 2020, an attempt was made to extort money from the victims and the information of around 33,000 people was leaked to the dark Tor network.
Aleksanteri Kivimäki is suspected of the data breach. He was wanted and arrested in absentia on suspicion of crimes in October 2022. In February 2023, he was captured in France.
At first, the police had difficulty finding all the victims of the data breach and blackmail, but in August the police announced that they had succeeded in doing so thanks to an international request for legal assistance.
The data breach case is currently under prosecution.
Reception manager Ville Tapio was sentenced in April to a three-month suspended prison term for a data protection offence.