How a TikTok trend to help moms became a money-grab opportunity

A video drawing attention to selfless parenting inadvertently sparked an ugly frenzy to find gift cards hidden in retailer aisles.

A sparkly silver purse, tucked between a bottle of baby lotion and Infants’ Tylenol at a retailer, sparked a recent viral trend. Denaesha Gonzalez noticed the purse (with the price tag still dangling) in the baby product aisle while out shopping. Assuming someone had put the item back on the shelf in order to prioritize their baby’s needs, Gonzalez posted a video on TikTok last month drawing attention to that anonymous shopper, saying “she deserved the purse.”