A consumer watchdog is sounding the alarm over phony charity websites that claim to send your donations to aid relief efforts in Japan, but take your money instead.

While Canadians have raised more than $3 million since the devastating earthquake and tsunami rocked the Pacific Rim country Friday, the Better Business Bureau says scammers will try hard to get a piece of it.

And thanks to the popularity of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, it's getting faster than ever to take advantage of people.

The BBB's Mark Fernandez says many people are compelled to donate to the ever-growing crisis but might rush without doing their due diligence.

"We've seen it with other natural disasters," he said. "People tend to act based on how they feel. They're compelled to help and they're not doing the proper background research."

The agency says many fake charity sites emerged following the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the earthquake last year in Haiti.

Fernandez says many scammers will build websites that look virtually identical to trick consumers.

The BBB recommends always donating at the charity's own website if you're giving online. If you're sending a text, make sure to confirm the details with the recipient charity.

"Verify the information if they have that kind of campaign going on, and make sure that the numbers match," Fernandez said.

Other BBB tips:

  • Be cautious when dealing with third-party recommendations
  • Watch out for appeals for money in spam emails, or chain messages
  • Look for details when texting a donation
  • Be wary of claims 100 per cent of the money goes to the charity – even legitimate agencies have overhead

Bas Brusche of the Canadian Red Cross says the fastest way for people to help is to text the word ASIA to 30333 to give a $5 donation.

You can also review charities online through the BBB's business review tool here.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Nafeesa Karim