Squid Game to Censor Phone Numbers on Netflix Due to Surge in Prank Calls

By Charlie Ridgely

The world has become obsessed with Squid Game. Netflix's original Korean series has been the most popular show in a multitude of different countries since its release and it looks to set several records for the streaming service. Millions of people have seen the strange and bloody thriller, which means that millions of people have seen the phone number that appears in the show's early episodes, as well as in the finale. As it turns out, the number is actually real, and the person it belongs to has been receiving hordes of calls and texts since Squid Game debuted.

When the players in Squid Game are initially invited to play, they're given a business card with a phone number on it. If they call that number, they'll receive information about being picked up to join the game. Well, Netflix subscribers everywhere started calling that number in real life, leading to a lot of spam and prank calls to the person who is actually belongs to. This week, Netflix and Siren Pictures confirmed that they will be editing the number going forward, according to The Korea Times.

Netflix apparently tried to avoid this issue from the onset, as it only included eight digits of the phone number on the business cards. However, folks soon found out that by dialing those eight numbers, the rest of the phone number would be automatically completed, allowing the call to go through. 

"After Squid Game aired, I have been receiving calls and texts endlessly, 24/7, to the point that it's hard for me to go on with daily life," the phone number's owner told Koreaboo. "This is a number that I've been using for more than 10 years, so I'm quite taken aback. There are more than 4,000 numbers that I've had to delete from my phone and it's to the point where due to people reaching out without a sense of day and night due to their curiosity, my phone's battery is drained and turns off."

That person isn't the only one to have received numerous calls from Squid Game viewers, as people with a number just one digit off are also getting contacted quite a bit. Hopefully the issue will be largely resolved when the phone number is removed from the show.

Have you been enjoying Squid Game on Netflix? Let us know in the comments!

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