How can I tell if a shop offer is a scam?

We can't tell if an email that was sent to you is a scam (although if it uses the Presto name, we would like you to FORWARD a copy of any email that you think is suspicious).  Your best protection against scams is to review the email carefully and look for suspicious signs.  Here are some pointers to help you: 

• Who is the email from?  Check the "from" address -- is it a mystery shopping company, or some generic address?  If the offer was not from a mystery shopping company or job board (such as Presto or JobSlinger) that you have signed up to receive emails from, be cautious.  
  Note: it IS possible to "spoof" the sender email address so that it appears to be different than the real sender.  If you ever get an email that seems to be from a real Presto address, you can check the email's full headers to find out who the real sender is.
• Does the company identify itself? Legitimate shop offers clearly identify the company sending the email, and also provide information for how to unsubscribe if you no longer want to receive them.  NOTE: many shoppers sign up for mystery shopping accounts and ask to receive shop notifications, and then forget that they did so (or the mystery shopping company's name changes).  Check the for other signs of a scam before assuming that the offer is not legitimate, especially if you have been mystery shopping for a while and have worked for several companies.  
• Does the shop description sound legit?  Check for pay that sounds suspiciously high or a shop that sounds suspiciously easy.  Likewise, avoid any shop that asks you to purchase a money order or cash a check - these are famous scams.