Pretexting is a social engineering attack that employs a fabricated scenario and character impersonation to win trust and gain access to data and accounts under false pretexts.

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Pretexting is a social engineering technique where an attacker fabricates a plausible scenario to win trust and access sensitive data. The attacker impersonates someone in authority, using detailed research and psychological tactics. Common methods include spoofed emails or calls. Notable examples include scandals with British tabloids and incidents involving large companies like Hewlett-Packard and Ubiquiti Networks. Awareness, training, and strong internal controls can help prevent such attacks.

What is pretexting? Definition, examples, and attacks