Phone number shown on 'Squid Game' leads to onslaught of prank calls

As the Netflix drama series “Squid Game” has become a worldwide sensation, a number of people have come forward claiming that they are receiving endless calls and text messages after the show featured a phone number.

In the show, an unnamed character, played by actor Gong Yoo, gives Ki-hoon (Lee Jung-jae) a business card, asking him to join the Squid Game contest. In the competition, 456 contenders compete for the prize money, risking their lives.

The business card has an eight-digit phone number printed on it, which potential contenders of the deadly game are instructed to call in order to participate.

While most films and TV shows feature made-up phone numbers, the Netflix show features an actual phone number and people have been calling the number or sending texts after the show was released, a person claimed.

“I have been receiving endless calls and text messages,” a person said in an interview with a local media outlet. “I have been using this number for more than 10 years, so I am quite taken aback.”

“Some 4,000 phone calls come in every day. I did not even realize what was going on as I did not watch the series. Someone who prank called me told me that the number was featured on the show,” the person said.

Meanwhile, another person is claiming to be a victim of prank calls associated with the phone number.

“The number on the game is very similar to mine. People are calling my number, mistakenly thinking that it is the number on the show,” the person wrote on Twitter along with screenshots of unanswered phone calls. “To the director of the show -- please reach out to me. This is so upsetting.”

Shortly after the claims surfaced online, Netflix Korea said was looking into the matter, trying to contact the alleged victims of the prank calls.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)