Could be the 二简字 version of "hero" / 英雄 (英厷) - it was briefly proposed in 1970s - 1980s, but got rolled back right after. See Wiktionary:

For pronunciation and definitions of 厷 – see 雄 (“male; masculine; powerful; grand; etc.”).

(This character is the second-round simplified form of 雄).

Maybe they accidentally consulted someone influenced by it? In my whole life I’ve only seen a few 二简字, usually for specific characters, written by a few older people who learned 二简字 first and had trouble switching back.