A website presenting itself as PG&E Corp.’s falsely claimed Wednesday that Geisha Williams, former CEO of the company, donated her $2.5 million severance to Camp Fire victims. The company and an activist group that claimed responsibility for the fake site said the news was not true.

The website www.pgecalifornia.com posted a news release that claimed Williams was donating the money to help with relief efforts. The domain was registered anonymously on Jan. 20, according to internet records.

After The Chronicle reported the false claim, a PG&E spokesman said the website was a fake. Later, a group called Climate Justice Crew took credit for it.

“Today, there were several social media posts about our former CEO that are simply not true,” PG&E spokeswoman Kristi Jourdan said in an email. “The posts were connected to a fake website that, despite appearances, is not affiliated in any way with PG&E.”

Climate Justice Crew posted a statement on another group’s website that said it sought to highlight Williams’ “astronomical” severance package that comes as PG&E prepares to file for bankruptcy.

Vanessa Tsimoyianis-Butterworth, reached at an email address listed as part of the stunt, said the Climate Justice Crew had three members and was based in Oakland. She said the group supports a public takeover of the company.

“PG&E needs to be dismantled, and there needs to be a democratic process that happens next,” she said. “Making it a true public utility is the way to go.”

Williams resigned earlier this month as the utility grapples with the extreme financial toll of two seasons of historically devastating California wildfires, including the Camp Fire in Butte County that killed 86 people and destroyed more than 14,000 homes.

State officials are investigating whether PG&E equipment caused the Camp Fire, and at least 50 lawsuits have been filed against utility from that fire alone. PG&E said it faces more than $30 billion in liabilities related to the Camp Fire and 2017’s destructive blazes.

In response, PG&E is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection this month and said it has lined up $5.5 billion in financing to support operations for a two-year restructuring.

Williams has not issued any statements about her severance.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article repeated the website’s false claim about the donation.

Roland Li is a Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf