Yellowknife, N.W.T.  - If you've received a text message from the city of Yellowknife recently, ignore it.

There is a warning from the city about a series of text messages which have been sent to random phone numbers about the collection of outstanding parking fines.

But the city doesn't use text messaging to collect fines, nor does it use texting to let people know they owe.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said people were asked to follow a set of "procedures" to take care of the outstanding money.

"They were to call a certain number and use a certain access code and pay their traffic ticket fines and we don't do things that way. Actually it is the first time I've heard of text messaging being used," he said.

Van Tighem said there are only three methods of payment the city accepts and using an access code is not one of them.

"You can pay in person at city hall, you can use the interactive voice response phone payment system or make an online payment on the city's website," he said.

His Worship adds the information has been sent to Yellowknife RCMP, but the person or persons responsible have not yet been caught.

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