Hundreds of thousands of Floridians are expected to receive foreclosure-restitution checks beginning this month through federal agreements with banks, but consumer advocates fear the letters could be mistaken for a scam or junk mail and thrown away.

The agreements, which replace the failed Independent Foreclosure Review, dole out $3.6 billion in cash to 4.2 million homeowners nationwide who were in some stage of foreclosure during 2009 and 2010.