Health and social care workers are being targeted by scammers trying to steal their £500 “thank you” payment from the government.
Trading standards officials have been alerted that those who will benefit from the one-off grant, which was announced last month by the first minister, are being contacted either by email or telephone by con artists.
A spokesman for NHS Western Isles said: “We are advising residents to be on their guard.
“NHS Scotland have advised that all bonus payments will be made through the payroll system, and that no staff will be required to disclose personal or financial details.”
An NHS Highland spokeswoman said: “We’re aware of the scam and staff have been advised.”
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian added: “We were notified of this scam by NHS Counter Fraud Services and have placed it on our staff intranet for information. We have no reported cases of this in Grampian.”
In previously scams, fraudsters have been using Test and Protect and the self-isolation support fund to steal personal information.
The crooks are using WhatsApp to send messages that appear to be from the Test and Protect app.
Anyone who responds to the fake contact tracers is then asked to provide personal details, which can then be used by the criminals.
Earlier this year, Highland Council received reports of a new text scam offering fake support grants.
