The world is full of people with bad intentions, and parents can’t afford to overlook that reality. It’s why moms and dads, especially moms, who are often the first to sense danger, should always trust their instincts.
One Utah mom did exactly that after realizing she and her children might be in a dangerous situation. In a now-viral TikTok video recorded from inside her car, she could be heard panicking as she told her kids to buckle up because they needed to leave immediately. In the background, she repeatedly said “no” to someone outside the vehicle.
After getting her children to safety, the mom began recounting the terrifying encounter she had just experienced while taking her three kids to the grocery store.
The Utah mom explained that while she was buckling one of her kids into the car, an older woman in a red vehicle pulled up beside her and said, “Oh my gosh, I saw your baby.” At first, it seemed harmless, but what happened next was anything but normal.
The woman then held out a $5 bill and insisted the mom take it “for the baby.” When the mom politely declined, the stranger didn’t back off. She kept her arm extended out the window, repeating that the money had to be accepted, even claiming it was “bad luck” to refuse.
As the mom continued saying no, the woman suddenly grew agitated, shouting and becoming aggressive. That’s when the mom’s instincts kicked in. Realizing the situation was turning dangerous, she quickly got into the car, locked the doors, and focused on keeping her kids safe.
As the Utah mom started trying to drive away, the woman started circling her car while still holding her hand out with the money. Thankfully, no one was in front of the mom’s car, and she managed to drive away. Of course, the situation left her shaken as she asked people if this was some kind of scam. “Just trust your mom gut,” she advised viewers. She posted another video where she shared that she filed a police report about what happened.
People Reacting to the Utah Mom’s Story
It wasn’t just the Utah mom who found that what happened to her was terrifying. A lot of people felt the same way, as one person wrote, “oh that’s hella scary.” One woman also added what she believed was wrong with $5 bill. “The money was either laced or she was trying to get you to walk away from your car as a distraction for someone else to get to your kids,” she wrote. It is possible that it could have been a kidnapping attempt. Another person believed this and said, “what I was suspecting is because she’s like far away and holding out money. Any normal person would take it and leave their kids alone for probably what they think is just a second and then another person kidnaps the kids or something.”
Not everyone agreed that the Utah mom’s experience was truly frightening. Some viewers believed the woman in the red car wasn’t dangerous at all but simply struggling with mental health issues. One person commented, “‘She was trying to traffic you,’ ‘the money was laced’ maybe she was just mentally ill.”
Others questioned the mom’s credibility because she was filming during the ordeal. “Boy, you were in such danger, thank goodness you had time to set up your camera!” one user wrote sarcastically. But as another person pointed out, the mom could have been recording the first clip as evidence in case the situation escalated.
Regardless of whether people found the incident believable or not, the message remains the same: parents should always stay alert and trust their instincts when their kids are involved.
