What is social engineering and give two common tactics used in fraud?

What is social engineering and give two common tactics used in fraud?

• A. Psychological manipulation to induce disclosure or access; examples: phishing and pretexting.
• B. Technical manipulation of computer systems by exploiting software bugs.
• C. A method of auditing financial statements.
• D. A policy for controlling access to facilities.

Answer: (D)

Social engineering targets people, not computer systems, by exploiting psychology and trust to get them to disclose confidential information or grant access. Attackers rely on emotions like urgency, fear, curiosity, or politeness to prompt actions that bypass security controls. Two common tactics in fraud are phishing and pretexting. Phishing uses convincing messages—emails, texts, or calls—that appear legitimate to trick you into revealing passwords, financial details, or clicking links that install malware. Pretexting involves the attacker fabricating a believable scenario and impersonating someone in authority or a trusted contact to obtain sensitive information or access wishes under false pretenses. Being aware of these tricks helps you pause, verify requests through independent channels, and protect credentials and access.

Social engineering targets people, not computer systems, by exploiting psychology and trust to get them to disclose confidential information or grant access. Attackers rely on emotions like urgency, fear, curiosity, or politeness to prompt actions that bypass security controls. Two common tactics in fraud are phishing and pretexting. Phishing uses convincing messages—emails, texts, or calls—that appear legitimate to trick you into revealing passwords, financial details, or clicking links that install malware. Pretexting involves the attacker fabricating a believable scenario and impersonating someone in authority or a trusted contact to obtain sensitive information or access wishes under false pretenses. Being aware of these tricks helps you pause, verify requests through independent channels, and protect credentials and access.