It's a sad part of any tragedy, and the tsunami in Southeast Asia is proving no different. Days after the disaster, stories of scam agencies preying on the generosity of others are emerging.

Sue Hicks of Parry Sound, Ont. spent seven days desperately searching for her nephew. She finally got word he was safe, but in the meantime Hicks heard from complete strangers requesting she send donations to an offshore account.

"My heart sank. I can't believe people would prey on our suffering like that," she said.

In St. John's, Nfld. thieves ransacked the office of the Canadian Red Cross. They didn't find any money, but they left behind a big mess.

"We're in the disaster services room, and the disaster services room looks like a disaster," says the Red Cross' Rhonda Kenney.

In Calgary, police are investigating complaints that shady fundraisers are approaching people on the streets.

"There have been a few people who have been trying to solicit funds illegitimately," said Stephen Snow of Calgary's police department.

Experts say the best bet is to give to charitable groups with a proven track record. And if you have any doubts, check it out.

"If you need to take down a person's I.D. number and make a call, an organization should be happy to verify that, 'Yes, we have such and such a person in this area at this time,'" says World Vision's Linda Tripp.

There have also been reports of fraud artists at work in the U.S. Experts say if you feel cornered by anyone looking for money, think twice.

"There are lots of organizations that will tell you, 'We need your money right now to deal with some immediate crisis' to try to put pressure on you to give immediately. You shouldn't fall prey to those pressure tactics," says Art Taylor of the Better Business Bureau in Washington.

Taylor also says it's worth sticking to organizations with a proven track record that are "much more effective than organizations that spring up overnight, regardless of what their intentions are."

In Sweden, there are reports that thieves have sunk to a new low. They check the newspapers for names of the dead, then break into their empty homes.

With files from CTV's Jed Kahane