9 Examples of Social Engineering Attacks

By definition, all examples of social engineering take advantage of human nature. Behaviors such as the willingness to trust others are exploited to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information.

Social engineering has become the backbone of many cyber threats, from phishing emails to smishing and vishing attacks. This blog post will outline many popular social engineering techniques, some real-life examples, and the emotions hackers use to dupe their victims.

9 Common Examples of Social Engineering Attacks

Here are nine common cyber threats that use social engineering tactics to access sensitive information. While many of these attacks occur online, some can also manifest in physical spaces like offices, apartment buildings, and cafes.

1. Phishing

The most pervasive way of implementing social engineering is for hackers to use deceptive emails, websites, and text messages to steal sensitive personal or organizational information from unsuspecting victims. 

2. Spear Phishing

This email scam is used to carry out targeted attacks against individuals or businesses. Spear phishing is more intricate than your average mass phishing email, featuring in-depth research on potential targets and their organizations.

3. Baiting

A baiting attack can be perpetrated online or in a physical environment. The cybercriminal usually promises the victim a reward in return for sensitive information or knowledge of its whereabouts. For example, a malware-infected USB key labeled “Confidential” is left in public.

4. Malware

This category of attacks involves malicious software, victims are sent an urgently worded message and tricked into installing malware on their device(s). Ironically, a popular tactic is telling the victim that malware has already been installed on their computer and that the sender will remove the software if they pay a fee.

5. Pretexting

This attack involves the perpetrator assuming a false identity to trick victims into giving up information. Pretexting is often leveraged against organizations with abundant client data, like banks, credit card providers, and utility companies.

6. Quid pro quo

This attack centers around an exchange of information or services to convince the victim to act. Normally, cybercriminals who carry out these schemes don’t do advanced target research and offer to provide “assistance,” taking on identities like tech support professionals.

7. Tailgating

This attack targets an individual who can give a criminal physical access to a secure building or area. Tailgating scams are often successful due to a victim’s misguided courtesy, such as if they hold the door open for an unfamiliar “employee.”

8. Vishing

In this scenario, cybercriminals will leave urgent voicemails to convince victims they must act quickly to protect themselves from arrest or another risk. Banks, government agencies, and law enforcement agencies are commonly impersonated personas in vishing scams.

9. Water-holing

This attack uses advanced social engineering techniques to infect a website and its visitors with malware. The infection usually spreads through a website specific to the victims' industry, like a popular website visited regularly.

Examples of Social Engineering Attack Scenarios

Social engineering has gained popularity recently due to its low cost, high success rate, and incredible scaling potential. Here are three examples of recent attacks that have had devastating results across multiple industries:

Scammers using Google Street View to intimidate users

Attackers send emails claiming they've hacked the victim’s computer, stolen compromising webcam footage, and accessed personal contacts. To make the threat more convincing, they often include breached data and a Google Street View image of the victim’s home. Victims are then pressured to pay a ransom, typically in Bitcoin, to prevent the supposed release of the compromising material.

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