What is Pretexting in Cybersecurity?
Pretexting Meaning
Pretexting is a type of social engineering in which attackers create a fabricated scenario, or "pretext," to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information. Unlike traditional hacking methods that exploit system vulnerabilities, pretexting targets human vulnerabilities, leveraging deception to extract sensitive information.
Understanding Pretexting Scams: A Social Engineering Tactic
Have you ever received an unsolicited call from someone in “tech support” about a problem that requires your immediate attention? Maybe the caller starts asking for personal information or account details to take care of the issue immediately. This scenario sums up a social engineering method known as pretexting.
Mostly done over the phone, pretexting scams involves the creation of a situation that convinces the target to reveal personal or valuable information. The scammer will pretend to be someone legitimate or familiar to make the target feel comfortable—a customer service agent from their ISP, a co-worker from a different branch or office, or someone from the company’s tech support. Criminals sometimes mine information about the target beforehand to make the scam seem more believable.
The problem is how to distinguish a scammer from a legitimate caller. Generally, if you receive an unsolicited call and the caller starts asking for personal information (Social Security number, account security questions) you should verify if the caller is legitimate. Hang up and call the company itself to confirm if there really is a problem.
How Pretexting Attacks Works: A Step-by-Step Breakdown
- Researching the Target – Attackers conduct extensive research using resources like open-source intelligence (OSINT), social media, or previous data breaches to gather personal or corporate information.
- Impersonation – Attackers assume the identity of a trusted entity, such as IT staff, a CEO, or a law enforcement officer. By leveraging authority, they create a sense of legitimacy, making victims more likely to comply.
- Spoofing – To enhance credibility, attackers use email spoofing, caller ID spoofing, or fake online profiles. Deepfake technology and AI-generated voices further complicate detection.
- Gaining the Target’s Trust – Through psychological manipulation, attackers establish credibility and reduce suspicion.
- Extracting Sensitive Information – The victim unknowingly provides confidential details, believing they are engaging with a legitimate entity.
- Exploiting the Obtained Data – Stolen information is used for identity theft, financial fraud, corporate espionage, or further cyberattacks.
Common Examples of Pretexting Attacks
Vishing
Voice Vishing also known as Vishing, is a type of social engineering attack where attackers use telephone calls or voice-based communication to trick someone into disclosing sensitive information, such as bank account details, login credentials, or personal identification information (PII).
Phishing
Phishing is a type of cyber-attack where cybercriminals, use fraudulent emails or messages to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information. These emails or messages contain malicious links that can steal user's private information. Phishing attacks are most effective when users are unaware that this is happening.
Figure 1. Infection chain of Heatstroke’s phishing attack; note that the infection chain could change depending on user/behavior properties
Tailgating
A tailgating attack in cyber security is a physical security breach where an unauthorized person gains physical access to a restricted area by closely following an authorized individual. Attackers can pose as new employees, delivery drivers, or maintenance workers to deceive authorized employees.
Baiting
Baiting refers to the act of cybercriminals enticing victims to interact with compromised physical devices or digital assets. Attackers will use pretexting to make the bait more attractive for the victim by labelling a USB drive with a misleading name, such as "Confidential" or "Employee Salaries" in corporate environments, to encourage victims to plug it in.
Romance Scams
A Romance Scam is a social engineering tactic whereby an attacker will use fake social media or dating profiles to seek unsuspecting victims and build a romantic relationship with them. It could take weeks or months for the attacker to gain the victim's confidence, but, once this has been achieved, they will ask for large sums of money for a fake emergency or gifts.
Scareware Scams
Scareware is a type of social engineering scam that involves intimidating victims with false alarms and threats. Users might be tricked into thinking that their system is infected with malware. They will then be encouraged to visit malicious websites to download a fix, but instead they end up downloading malware or divulging sensitive information such as card details.
Pretexting vs. Phishing: What’s the Difference?
While both are social engineering tactics, pretexting scams involve direct, personalized interaction and deception, whereas phishing typically uses mass emails with malicious links. However, cybercriminals often combine both methods in multi-layered attacks.
How to Prevent Pretexting Attacks
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
DMARC is an email authentication protocol that helps prevent email spoofing by verifying the authenticity of email senders. DMARC works in conjunction with SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to ensure email authentication and integrity.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Ensures that only authorized email servers can send messages on behalf of an organization’s domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Uses cryptographic signatures to verify that email messages have not been altered in transit.
- DMARC Policy Enforcement: Organizations can set policies (none, quarantine, or reject) to dictate how emails failing authentication should be handled. A strict DMARC policy can significantly reduce the likelihood of attackers using domain spoofing for pretexting attacks.
Security Awareness Training & Verification Practices
Regular cybersecurity training to educate employees to identify and respond accordingly to pretexting scams can help protect your business. Organizations should emphasize:
Identifying suspicious requests and verifying their legitimacy.
Contacting the requester through official channels before sharing sensitive data or authorizing financial transactions.
Recognizing psychological manipulation techniques used in pretexting attacks.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring multiple authentication factors, such as a one-time passcode or biometric verification, to access accounts. This significantly reduces the risk of attackers misusing stolen credentials.
Reporting Suspicious Activity
Organizations should encourage employees to report any suspicious calls, emails, or messages to the IT security team for further investigation. Having a proactive reporting mechanism helps organizations detect and respond to potential threats before they escalate.