Pretexting
Last updated
Last updated
Pretexting is a social engineering technique where an attacker creates a fabricated scenario to manipulate the target into trusting them and divulging sensitive information. This often involves impersonating trusted authority figures, colleagues, or service providers. The goal is to exploit the target's trust and psychological vulnerabilities to gain access to confidential data, credentials, or resources.
False Pretense: The attacker constructs a false scenario, often involving a fabricated identity or situation, to deceive the target. This could be impersonating an IT technician, a colleague, or a trusted service provider.
Establishing Trust: The attacker builds credibility with the target by appearing legitimate and authoritative. This trust is essential in encouraging the target to provide sensitive information or perform an action they normally wouldn't.
Manipulating Emotions: Attackers often play on emotions like fear, urgency, or sympathy to push the target into acting quickly. They might create a sense of impending disaster or offer help in a vulnerable situation to lower the target’s guard.
Information Gathering: The attacker uses the established pretext to gather confidential data from the target. This could be personal information, login credentials, or access to secure systems.
Maintaining Consistency: Successful pretexting requires the attacker to maintain a consistent story and persona throughout the interaction. This helps reinforce the false identity and increases the likelihood of the target’s cooperation.
Tech Support Scam: An attacker impersonates a tech support representative, claiming the target’s system has a security issue that needs urgent attention. They may ask for remote access or login details to resolve the issue.
Job Interview Scam: The attacker pretends to be a recruiter or hiring manager conducting a job interview, asking for personal information, references, or even a background check in the name of processing the job application.
Corporate IT Department Upgrade: An attacker poses as a member of the company’s IT team and convinces the target to provide credentials or perform actions (such as clicking on a link) under the pretense of a system upgrade or maintenance.
