The country's biggest charity organization, the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), is caught in a crisis of credibility amid corruption accusations and calls for a boycott after a woman claiming to be its employee showcased her luxury lifestyle in her microblog posts.

Angry Internet users alleged the owner of the Weibo account "Guo Meimei Baby" was the daughter or mistress of a vice president of the RCSC and a beneficiary of corruption, based on her showy descriptions of an extravagant lifestyle, though the pair denied the accusation.

The microblogger identified herself as the general manager of "Red Cross Chamber of Commerce" and uploaded pictures of luxury possessions, including images shot with Hermes handbags and Maserati and Lamborghini cars on weibo.com since July 2010. Her work identity had been verified by Weibo.

Web users claimed the account owner is Guo Meiling, 20, from Changsha in Hunan Province, but the identity could not be verified.

In a new development on Sunday, the microblogger denied any link with the RCSC or its vice president Guo Changjiang, instead asking for forgiveness from the organization and the public.

"I have never worked at the Society (RCSC) and I faked my work title," she wrote in a post. "I have already learnt my lesson and received condemnation from my family and friends. I have been hurt and upset by the troubles resulting from my ignorance."

In a thread posted Tuesday night but that disappeared the next morning, the microblogger said the abbreviation of her company name had led to the misunderstanding.

"The company I work with has business ties with the RCSC. As an advertising agency, we print advertisements for our clients – insurance companies and health care equipment manufacturers – on RCSC vehicles," it reads.

Also on Wednesday, Weibo withdrew their identity verification of the account and apologized, admitting an error during the microblog company identity verification process.

Ding Shuo, with the RCSC's policy and regulation department, told the Global Times, "There is no such company as the Red Cross Chamber of Commerce under the RCSC, and I've never heard of anyone named Guo Meimei."

The RCSC announced Friday that these were all rumors and speculation, and had asked the police to investigate who was behind the alleged scandal and plot to tarnish the image of the organization.

Responding to mounting questions over his relationship with the microblogger, Guo Changjiang, RCSC vice president, told eastday.com Wednesday, "She is not my daughter. I have no daughter."

However, the announcements failed to quell the controversy as the online community continued to dig for evidence and raise questions.

Some suggested that more government officials may be involved. An official said to be with the Ministry of Culture earlier discussed horse riding techniques with the microblogger and even invited her to Qinghai Province.

His Weibo account disappeared after Web users showed screenshots of his chat with "Guo Meimei."

Some Internet users have voluntarily organized an independent investigation team.

"I don't fight alone. I have 40 people from different sectors with me to disclose the corruption behind the case," said Jiang Pengyong, an employee of an interior decoration company and leader of the team.

"I donate money and support philanthropy, but I will never give a penny to the Red Cross Society of China until they ensure their financial transparency," said Yang Liu, a media worker.

Wu Danhong, an expert on law from the China University of Political Science and Law, called on the RCSC to sue the owner of the "Guo Meimei Baby" microblog account and give a sound explanation on the scandal to repair its crumbling reputation.

"The bureaucracy of the organ has already disappointed the public. If it continues to respond so slowly and passively, its reputation and even that of philanthropy in China will be ruined," Wu said.

The reputation of the RCSC was dealt a blow in April when a picture of an invoice, claiming to show that a district branch of the RCSC in Shanghai had spent 9,859 yuan ($1,524) on a meal, was posted online.

Yu Jianrong, head of the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said a lack of transparency and poor management were the cause of the crisis.

"Guo's case is not a trigger, but a peak for the public to question the transparency of the organization (RCSC). The public's anger and demands for an explanation are ringing an alarm," Yu said.

He Xin and Ge Lili contributed to this story