A terrifying scam has been discovered that could take the life of a child. Hospital officials recently found two counterfeit car seats during one of their safety programs. Their car seat technician discovered a fake car seat during a routine car seat check as a mother and her newborn were being discharged from the hospital. The technician said there was no way a child would survive a crash in a seat like this.

How to Find a Fake

The fake car seats were purchased online. To avoid the risk, make sure you don’t order from third-party vendors and the seat you buy is from a legitimate vendor. All seats should come with a NHTSA FMVSS sticker showing the seat satisfies the federal standards. So, check to see that the car seat comes with all the safety documents and papers. Generally, fake items don’t come with a manual or registration card, and may be missing important federal labels and stickers. Parents in the market for a car seat should be wary of buying online or through a third-party vendor; online “BOGO” or other deals should be another trigger for suspicion. Second-hand car seats should also be avoided; they may have been knock-offs or be expired or damaged.

Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital created a tip sheet with other tips to look for when purchasing a car seat

Parents Need to Beware Scary ‘Fake’ Car Seat Trend, Hospital Warns