- The FTC Web site provides facts about pretexting
- ID Theft provides information to the consumer about identity theft and how pretexting is used to gain access to personal information
- PI magazine discusses the use of pretexting during the course of an investigation
- Read an article about pretexting, ID theft, and what it means
- Information about H.R. 4709: Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006 which outlaws pretexting
- Federal Trade Commissions privacy rules prevent the use of pretexting to gain personal information
- Review the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) efforts to stop identity theft and prevent pretexting
- The United States House of Representatives provides a video on the hearing conducted to combat pretexting
- Dictionary.com provides definitions for pretexting
- The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) on preventing pretexting
- The U.S. Department of Justice and some telecommunication carriers protest a bill that would prevent the use of pretexting to gain customers personal information
What is Pretexting?
Pretexting is a data mining scam with potentially serious consequences. Pretexting is when someone assumes the guise of another person in order to establish trust and extract privatized information from an unsuspecting target, typically over the phone or through online interaction. Barring sanctioned police investigations, pretexting is illegal. Pretexting is a kind of "social engineering" that is a subset of fraud.
The reason that pretexting is called pretexting is because the scammer not only pretends to be someone they're not, but also creates a credible "pretext" for why the privatized information is needed.
Uses of Pretexting
An example of pretexting would be when you receive a telephone call in which you are asked to participate in the survey by your "credit card company," "bank," or similar institution that privatizes information. During this survey, you might be asked for confidential information, such as your social security number or mother's maiden name, perhaps with the reason of verifying your identity. This is considered pretexting when the "survey" is being conducted by a scammer. The scammer may claim to be conducting the survey on behalf of your credit card company or bank, and may "legitimize" their claim using information such as your address, phone number, real estate taxes, or other information that is publically available. However, in a pretexting scam, the claim of legitimacy is merely a ruse by a scammer who has formulated "a pretext" to retrieve privatized information to which they are not entitled. In this situation, especially where credit card numbers and bank accounts are concerned, pretexting can be a means to identity theft.
However, identity theft is not the only objective to which pretexting can be put. Scammers may also sell your private information to other parties or for people personally interested in you. Pretexting can also attack companies. Scammers may call businesses the same way they do individuals, with the similar seemingly-legitimate "pretext" in order to retrieve personal information about individuals. Pretexting can even be used in more direct theft by someone calling the security unit of a building and impersonating a security officer or manager in order to retrieve lock codes they intend to use of sell for breaking and entering. Pretexting can be a tactic in corporate espionage. In more personalized examples, pretexting can occur in kidnapping cases in which a man or woman calls a school or similar institution pretending to be a parent or concerned relative of a targeted child and attempts to retrieve information to which they are not entitled.
Pretexting is a serious concern in today's computerized world. Our identities are becoming increasingly available through shared computer data systems, and unlike other kinds of fraud, scammers establish trust without meeting their targets face to face. Pretexting schemes are usually conducted over the phone or through online communication channels. It is important to understand pretexting in order to know how to protect yourself. Pretexting can be conducted by anyone and can be used against anyone. Because of the inherent anonymity of pretexting schemes, scammers enjoy a relatively "safe" criminal activity at the expense of honest, unsuspecting victims and/or businesses.
To learn more about pretexting, you are encouraged to read through the content on this website. To view frequently asked questions about pretexting, visit the FAQ. For the legal definition of pretexting as well as the official laws defending honest citizens against pretexting, view the Pretexting Legality page. For information about how to protect yourself or your family from pretexting fraud, visit the Pretexting Protection page. To view additional resources about pretexting, including examples and consequences of those who have been caught pretexting as well as those victimized by pretexting, view the pretexting resources page.