However, the founder of the non-profit group told the Evening Telegraph today he had never used the addresses, and urged people not to respond to the email.

The fake appeal states, “We are an aid agency working to provide emergency relief building baby care homes for the surviving disadvantaged children without parents from the disaster and need your financial support.

“On behalf of the tsunami victims, we would like to appeal for your kind donation. If you wish to make a donation, please send a mail stating your intended cash material or manpower donations.”

Speaking from India today, GRISSMAA director Daniel Raaja told the Tele he had not heard of the two email addresses listed — one of which is based in Finland.

He said, “I did send some emails to my friends, from my personal address, asking if they could help. But I do not know these addresses, so people should not send anything to them.

“I have just been to the second-most affected area in India and have done some work for the affected people there.

“Most of the people there are homeless, so I am planning to build some houses. Of course, exactly what I do is dependent on how many donations come in.”

Mr Raaja said his organisation, which was founded in 1996 and, prior to the disaster, was involved in house-building for disadvantaged people, could be contacted at grissmaa@yahoo.co.in

The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) has warning members of the public to be vigilant about donating to those claiming to be collecting for the Tsunami victims.

Several scams have now been identified, including unsolicited emails (SPAM) offering to locate loved ones.

Others request money be deposited in overseas banks to support the tsunami relief effort, or seek personal or financial information in an effort to retrieve large amounts of inheritance funds tied up in relation to the tsunami disaster.

NCIS said they were also aware of “criminal activity” involving the disaster being used as a front for spreading computer viruses.

False websites have been created purporting to be managed by legitimate relief organisations asking for donations.

One of these sites contains an embedded object that can infect computers with a virus if accessed.

An NCIS spokesman said, “Whilst we do not in any way wish to dissuade members of the public from donating money to the registered charity tsunami appeals, we urge them to exercise vigilance in order to prevent and disrupt these and other possible criminal scams.”