How are creators generating "free" TikTok coins?

For the past few months I've noticed creators generating free coins. When certain viewers joins a live they automatically gift the creator three coins. This number goes up by three consistently as long as the viewer is still in the live. The viewer has not gifted anything, they are not a subscriber, and they're not a part of the creator's "team".

Creators have acknowledged this anomaly. Concerned that their gift notifications are broken. However these viewers consistently say they have never purchased TikTok coins nor have they gifted anything.

I'm just curious if anyone else has seen something similar, is this a new update, is this a glitch?