pretexting

noun

pre·​text·​ing ˈprē-ˌtek-stiŋ How to pronounce pretexting (audio)
: the practice of presenting oneself as someone else in order to obtain private information

Examples of pretexting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
This class includes phishing, business email compromise (BEC) and pretexting (the human equivalent of phishing). Vincent Weafer, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022 Top tactics included phishing and pretexting, both of which involve concocting a story that will trick the victim into revealing password information and other sensitive data. Dan Patterson, CBS News, 19 May 2021 And there are very explicit rules against tactics like pretexting, which is essentially using deception, to get someone to speak to you. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2020 The practice of obtaining customer call records by posing as the customer is known as pretexting. Associated Press, WIRED, 29 Sep. 2006

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pretexting was in 1992

Dictionary Entries Near pretexting

Cite this Entry

“Pretexting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretexting. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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