Across Europe, concern is growing that traffickers and fraudsters are exploiting Ukrainian women fleeing war. Helsingin Sanomat reports that the phenomenon has reached Finland, detailing an undercover investigation by news agency STT.
Ads on Ukrainian staffing sites advertise well-paying jobs at Finnish factories including Sinebrychoff and Huhtamäki that do not actually exist, according to the companies themselves. The ads require applicants to pay a fee to apply for positions that don't require any specialisation or local language skills.
To warn citizens about exploitation risks, Ukrainian officials have sent text messages through local mobile operators warning people of traffickers and urging them to turn down shady job offers.
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Cash is king
Finland has become an increasingly cashless society in recent years, but Ilta-Sanomat says the war in Ukraine is prompting some to ask how much money to keep on hand were digital payments systems to be disrupted.
The Consumers' Union of Finland urges people to keep a week's worth of expenses in physical cash, according to IS.
"It's worth assessing how much you need based on your regular expenses. Imagine how much you would need to manage if all digital payment infrastructure was down," said Juha Beurling-Pomoell, the consumer watchdog's secretary general.
Omicron up
Coronavirus infections are again rising in Uusimaa following a three-week downward trend, according to Asko Järvinen, Chief Physician and head of the infectious diseases department at the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS).
Järvinen told Hufvudstadsbladet that at this point half of the entire population of the Uusimaa region has most likely been infected with the virus.
"I'm not worried about running out of intensive care spots. I'm more concerned about older people who haven't been vaccinated becoming seriously ill," he told HBL.
Vaccine experts in Finland are expected to reach a decision on the rollout of second Covid vaccine boosters this week.