Pretexting is a form of social engineering tactic used by attackers to gain access to information, systems, or services by creating deceptive scenarios that increase the success rate of a future social …

Pretexting was one of the first examples of social engineering. Coined by the FBI in 1974, the concept of pretexting was often used to help in their investigations.

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.

Apr 1, 2024 · Pretexting is the use of a fabricated story, or pretext, to gain a victim’s trust and trick or manipulate them into sharing sensitive information, downloading malware, sending money to …

Oct 26, 2023 · Pretexting is a social engineering attack where a cybercriminal creates a fabricated story to bait their target into revealing sensitive personal or proprietary information, sending money, or …

Pretexting is a cybercrime using a social engineering technique where adversaries invent and act out false identities to deceive targets into granting access, sharing credentials, or disclosing sensitive data.

Jul 22, 2025 · Pretexting is a form of social engineering wherein an attacker creates a fabricated scenario to scam the target into exposing secret information. It works on deceit and trust because an …

Pretexting is a social engineering attack in which an attacker uses a false scenario and deception to gain access to information, a system or a service.

Oct 3, 2025 · Pretexting is a form of social engineering involving an attacker creating a convincing fake story (or "pretext") to manipulate someone into divulging information or performing actions that …

Feb 11, 2026 · Pretexting is a subtle social engineering tactic that builds trust before an attack. Learn how it works, real examples, and how to prevent it.