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A widely shared social media story about a bullied Finnish teenager named “Pekka” who allegedly took his own life has been exposed as a hoax. The woman who posed as his mother has admitted to fabricating the story and deceiving donors, according to reports.
The case gained traction after Apuna ry, a charity organisation, shared a post about a 15-year-old boy who was said to have suffered severe bullying and died by suicide.
The post led to a wave of sympathy and donations from the public. However, investigations found no evidence of the boy’s existence.
Authorities in Vantaa, where the alleged bullying was said to have occurred, confirmed they had found no records matching the case. Helsinki education officials also stated they had no information about such an incident in the city’s schools.
Ilta-Sanomat discovered that donations meant for Pekka’s family had been transferred to a man who was not a school-aged boy. Two women who contributed money through MobilePay provided screenshots showing payments made to an individual named Pekka, but the recipients found in public records were middle-aged men.
The woman who posed as Pekka’s mother later sent an apology message to Apuna ry, promising to return the money and accept legal consequences. The charity’s chairperson, Heidi Jaari, told the media she had also been misled and had not verified the woman’s claims before sharing the story.
Despite mounting evidence of deception, Apuna ry’s social media accounts initially kept the post online. It had gathered nearly 100,000 likes and thousands of comments before being removed.
The case has raised concerns over misinformation and fraudulent fundraising on social media. Finnish police have not publicly commented on whether an investigation is underway.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
