A north school contacted hundreds of parents warning them after receiving a report about two men in a black van said to be approaching girls and inviting them inside to see puppy-dogs.
Staff circulated an e-mail on Wednesday to parents and carers of Grantown Grammar pupils and a police investigation was started.
The parents were asked to tell their children to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police.
The message also advised pupils to travel in groups rather than alone until the matter was resolved and to make sure that parents knew where they were.
The warning said: “We have been alerted to a concerning situation which we would like to make sure that all pupils, parents and staff are aware of. A black transit van with no rear number plate has been seen in the area. It is reported that two male occupants dressed in black have made inappropriate approaches to several young people. Please can you all be especially vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police. We would advise pupils to travel in groups rather than alone until this matter has been resolved and also make sure that your parents know where you are.”
However the police investigation established it was a false report and another e-mail was sent out yesterday to parents informing them there was no longer a risk.
It is understood that some pupils made up the story to cover their tracks for being elsewhere.
Deputy headteacher at the 400-pupil school, Claire McGonigal, issued a statement on the school’s website which read: “I have just spoken with Police Scotland and am pleased to be able to report that they are satisfied that there is no longer any specific risk to the public from strangers in the area as highlighted in yesterday’s statement.
“I would like to thank them for the speed with which they have dealt with this issue and also the community as a whole for your support.”
Badenoch and Strathspey councillor Jaci Douglas, who lives in Grantown, said: “I had some concerns raised by constituents and spoke to the school and they put out the statement which has been shared on Facebook several times. It is good to see the information going out to the community.
“I am a parent myself and when you hear about any concerns or threat you feel sick and I completely understand this was a huge cause of concern. Even though the current situation appears to be resolved it is important to remind our kids to be vigilant about danger.”
A police spokesman said: “We can confirm we received a report. Inquiries were made and it was established that it was a false report.”