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What is pretexting?
Pretexting relies on trust. Pretexters (as the perpetrators are known) can impersonate co-workers, the police, banks, tax authorities, clergy, insurance company investigators, etc. In short, anyone brazil whatsapp number data 5 million who, to the victim, might appear to have the authority to request such information . These types of attacks are typically carried out by a scammer who pretends to need certain information from their victims in order to confirm their identities. The pretexter simply has to prepare answers to questions the victim might ask. In some cases, all that is needed is an authoritative voice, a serious tone, and the ability to improvise a pretexting scenario.
Attackers pretend to have authority over you and then ask for both sensitive and non-descript information . In 2020, a group of scammers posed as representatives of modeling agencies and escort services. They fabricated fake backgrounds and interview questions to trick female victims, including teenagers, into sending them nude photos of themselves. They then sold those photos to pornography businesses for huge sums of money.
Because pretexting attacks rely on trust, scammers try to convince their victims to reveal their own personal information.
One of the most important aspects of social engineering is trust . If you are unable to build trust, you will most likely fail. A solid pretext is a key part of building trust. If your fake identity or story has holes in it, or doesn't sound even slightly believable, chances are the victim will catch on. Much like inserting the right key into a lock, the right pretext provides the right signals to those around you, and can disarm their doubts or suspicions and, so to speak, open doors for you.