Ofcom makes dig at Squid Game after Netflix smash shows man’s real phone number

One Korean citizen has been receiving thousands of calls since show’s launch

Ofcom has called out Netflix’s hugely successful series Squid Game after the show aired a man’s real phone number.

A Korean citizen said he has been receiving thousands of calls from fans of the series since his contact details were shown on a business card in episode one.

Reacting to the news on Instagram, Ofcom shared an image of the story on its official page, with the caption: “Things that wouldn’t happen in the UK because of Ofcom rules.”

The regulator added: “When you see or hear a UK phone number in a TV or radio show, it’s from a special list of numbers we’ve set aside for this specific use.”

Ofcom has provided 16,000 telephone numbers that are recommended for TV and radio dramas. The numbers are real but will never be used by customers.

The owner of the number in Squid Game told Money Today that he has since been receiving “endless” calls and text messages.

“It has come to the point where people are reaching out day and night due to their curiosity. It drains my phone’s battery and it turns off,” the man, who hails from the Gyeonggi province, said.

Netflix is reportedly in negotiations with the phone number owner to resolve the issue.

Squid Game, which arrived on Netflix on 17 September, has become one of the streaming service’s biggest-ever shows in a matter of days.

The Korean-language thriller is set in a dystopian reality, in which a mysterious company recruits people in debt to compete in seemingly childish games in a bid to win huge sums of cash.

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Unlike typical children’s games, however, those in Squid Game have fatal consequences for the losers.

Squid Game is available to watch now on Netflix.