The Most you can do is say you will Deposit the check,
and if all is well in 30 Days (or when the Bank gives the All clear)
you will move forward from there.
of course in most cases just by depositing the check, the bank will charge you a bounce fee, once it does. so it is even smarter to ignore them and frame the check as a souvenir of a moron who think they can pull one over on you. imo

plus you can look so wealthy to the babes having uncashed checks for $2,074.25.
just lying around the house
in todays local news. not Craig's List Related , But is related to the Scam you mention
Police investigate
gift card scam
REEDSVILLE – State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a theft that happened to a Wayne Township resident between May 15 and June 2.
Police said someone sent an email to the woman to see if she would like to be a Wal-Mart Secret Shopper to which the woman inquired and was promised between $450 and $900 a month to shop.
The woman was sent an assignment via the United States Postal Service that included a check for $2,970 with instructions to keep $450 and use the remaining amount to purchase Wal-Mart gift cards, photograph the security numbers and email the pictures, police said.
The woman purchased gift cards in $500 increments and sent in pictures of the cards and two days later received another package from the same sender with a check from a different bank and the same instructions, police said.
Police said the woman purchased additional gift cards and sent in the photographs but the following day the first check was returned because it was on a closed account.
By this time, police said, the gift cards had already been purchased and drained of the money.
Police log, June 15, 2017 - News - Republican Herald