Parents and caregivers searching online for a car seat to keep their children safe can enhance that protection by making sure it's the real deal, according to the state department that looks out for consumers.

There are a "rising number of counterfeit car seats" in online marketplaces, said a news release Tuesday by the New York State Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection.

State law requires children who are younger than 8 years old or shorter than 4-foot-9 ride in a front-facing car seat, while all children under 2-years-old must ride in a rear-facing car seat.

While legitimate child car seats meet federal safety standards, knockoffs pose potentially life-threatening risks "due to lack of proper testing, inadequate safety features and poor construction," the release sa

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