What Is Pretexting? How Cybercriminals Manipulate You Into Giving Up Information

Published on January 31, 2025

Post Content: Cybersecurity

Cybercriminals are getting smarter—not just with technology but with psychology. Pretexting is a social engineering scam where attackers create a convincing false story (pretext) to manipulate victims into revealing sensitive information.

Unlike phishing, which often relies on urgent messages and malicious links, pretexting focuses on deception and building trust. Scammers pose as trusted figures—such as company executives, IT support, or government officials—to extract confidential data, login credentials, or financial details.

With cybercrime on the rise, pretexting attacks are becoming more common. In this article, we’ll break down how pretexting works, the most common scams, and how to protect yourself from falling victim.

What Is Pretexting?

Pretexting is a type of social engineering attack where a scammer fabricates a believable scenario to trick someone into divulging sensitive information.

Rather than using malicious links or malware, pretexting relies on human psychology—exploiting trust, authority, and curiosity to convince the victim to share details willingly.

Pretexting attacks often involve impersonation, with criminals pretending to be:
✅ A CEO or manager requesting urgent financial transfers.
✅ An IT support technician asking for login credentials.
✅ A bank representative verifying account details.
✅ A government official requesting personal information.

Once the attacker gains trust, they gradually extract confidential data, which can be used for fraud, identity theft, or more advanced cyberattacks.

How Does Pretexting Work?

A typical pretexting attack follows a strategic approach:

1️⃣ Creating a Convincing Backstory – The attacker carefully crafts a believable pretext, often researching the victim or company in advance.
2️⃣ Establishing Trust – They use authoritative language and insider knowledge to appear legitimate.
3️⃣ Extracting Information – The scammer asks for sensitive data (e.g., passwords, employee records, or bank details) under the guise of routine business procedures.
4️⃣ Exploiting the Stolen Data – Once they obtain confidential details, they use them for financial fraud, identity theft, or deeper cyberattacks.

Unlike phishing emails, pretexting attacks often happen over phone calls, direct messages, or even in person.

Types of Pretexting Attacks

Pretexting can take many forms, but here are some of the most common scams:

1. CEO Fraud (Business Email Compromise)

📩 Example: “Hey, this is the CEO. I need you to process a wire transfer immediately. It’s urgent!”

Attackers impersonate executives or high-ranking employees to pressure staff into sending money or sharing sensitive business data.

2. Tech Support Scams

💻 Example: “This is IT support. We’ve detected unusual activity on your account. Please verify your password so we can reset it.”

Cybercriminals pose as IT professionals from trusted companies (like Microsoft, Apple, or Google) to trick victims into sharing credentials or installing malware.

3. Bank or Government Impersonation

🏛 Example: “Your bank account has been flagged for suspicious activity. Please confirm your account details to prevent a freeze.”

Fraudsters pretend to be bank representatives, tax officials, or law enforcement officers to steal personal and financial information.

4. HR or Payroll Fraud

📑 Example: “This is HR. We need to verify your direct deposit information for payroll updates.”

Scammers target employees by posing as human resources personnel to trick them into handing over personal details or financial data.

5. Customer Service Scams

📞 Example: “Hi, this is customer support from Amazon. We detected an issue with your recent order. Can you confirm your login details?”

Attackers impersonate customer service agents from well-known companies, using fake problems as an excuse to collect personal information.

How to Spot a Pretexting Scam

Since pretexting scams rely on deception rather than malicious links, spotting them requires critical thinking. Look out for these warning signs:

Unusual requests for sensitive information – Legitimate companies will never ask for passwords, banking details, or verification codes over the phone or email.
High-pressure tactics – Scammers often create urgency, making you feel like you must act immediately.
Requests that bypass standard procedures – If someone asks you to ignore security policies or handle transactions differently, be cautious.
Vague or inconsistent details – Attackers often avoid specifics or provide conflicting information when questioned.
Unverified contact information – Double-check email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles to ensure legitimacy.

Pretexting Prevention Tips

Protecting yourself from pretexting requires awareness and verification. Follow these best practices to stay safe:

🔒 Verify before sharing information – If someone claims to be from a company or government agency, contact them directly using official contact details.
📢 Educate employees and colleagues – Train your team to recognize pretexting tactics and follow strict verification procedures.
🚨 Question unexpected requests – If a request seems unusual or urgent, pause and verify before taking action.
🔍 Follow company security protocols – Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) and enforce strict access controls to prevent unauthorized access.
📵 Be cautious with unsolicited calls and emails – Don’t trust unexpected messages that ask for personal or financial details.
🛑 Report suspicious activity – If you suspect a pretexting attempt, report it to your IT department, bank, or security team immediately.

What to Do If You Fall for a Pretexting Attack

If you suspect you’ve been targeted by a pretexting scam, act quickly to minimize damage:

1️⃣ Do not engage further – Stop responding to the scammer and avoid giving additional details.
2️⃣ Secure your accounts – Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
3️⃣ Notify your IT or security team – If the scam involved work-related data, report it to your company immediately.
4️⃣ Monitor your financial statements – Keep an eye on bank transactions and credit reports for suspicious activity.
5️⃣ Alert the authorities – In cases of financial fraud or identity theft, report the incident to law enforcement or consumer protection agencies.

Final Thoughts

Pretexting is one of the most deceptive social engineering scams, relying on human trust rather than technology. Understanding how these attacks work and verifying requests before sharing sensitive information is crucial for protecting yourself and your business.

Want to learn about other phishing-related threats? Check out these related articles:
🔗 What Is Phishing? How to Spot and Prevent Online Scams
🔗 What Is Vishing? How to Prepare for Voice Phishing Scams
🔗 What Is Smishing? How to Spot and Prevent Text Message Scams
🔗 What Is Quishing? How to Spot and Prevent QR Code Scams

By staying vigilant and questioning unexpected requests, you can avoid falling victim to pretexting scams. Stay alert, trust but verify, and protect your information! 🚀