Dave Soloman

I recently replied to an ad on Craigslist.org to a man looking for a personal assistant. He said it was a part time gig and I would receive 500 a week for my services no matter how small. He also said that I would be working around his two children, a girl 12 and a boy 8. So I sent him an email with my resume attached and a short description of who I was.
About three days later I received an email saying that in order to be able to qualify for the position I have to send him my current address, and my full name so he can do a background check on me, again because I would be working around his children. That was fine I have nothing to hide so I sent him the info. A day later I received an email stating "Congratulations on your new job."
That was the first red flag to be thrown in the air. He continued in saying that he is sending me a check in the mail for $3,700. I am to deposit it, wait for it to clear, then send the majority of it to an orphanage in Malaysia. Now this is where I was no longer in doubt but I knew it was a scam. I told him this looks extremely fishy, and if I am to do anything with the check I would need to speak to him either face to face or over the phone. He continued to inform me that he wasn't in town and won't be for some time. I replied by saying that is fine, I would like his cell phone number then so we can speak. He told me that he had his phone turned off because he was away.
Now this is where I started to get annoyed. The check had just arrived and I told him I would feel much more comfortable waiting until he gets back to Los Angeles to do anything with the check. He told me that would be no good because the check would go bad by the time he gets home.... checks don't go bad. Now keep in mind that this entire time he is speaking broken english, and the check itself comes from New York city, the package it came in comes from Arizona, and he says he is from Los Angeles. I continued to inform him that I would keep the check safe until he returns. He became very agitated saying that if I am not going to do as he asks then send the check back to him.
I asked him why he wants me to send it back, as it is just a piece of paper right now, it holds no value. I told him that he can't do anything with the check since MY name was typed onto it. Not written with pen, but typed like on a computer (just another flag). After going back and forth a couple of times he began to threaten me, saying that he knows who I am and has my pictures. "Don't make me find you," his exact words. Now, I don't take kindly to bullies, and I told him that. I have stopped emailing him back, and he has done the same.

Now my question is, what do I do with this check? lol

He told me that would be no good because the check would go bad by the time he gets home.... checks don't go bad

There were probably several checks sent out on the same account number. Once one of the fraudulent checks is detected, the account information will likely be flagged and/or the account number will be changed. After that point, any future checks deposited will be rejected immediately. So for his purposes, the check will "go bad" in a matter of days to weeks.

As to what to do with the check:
-Shred it
-give it to the police
-if sent by mail, file a mail fraud report and turn in to the post office (it's mail fraud to send it)
-keep it, but write FAKE on it in large letters in permanent ink (you do not want to be holding a fake that could possibly be used).