The ML Editor

If you have noticed questionably high balances in your credit account, or bank withdrawals you did not make, chances are you were victimized by a pretexting scammer. Pretexting scammers gain personal and confidential telephone records by impersonating or pretending to be the client. Most pretexting scammers do preliminary research about their victims so that they can come up with a convincing performance that will make telephone company employees give out valuable client information.

How do pretexters do this? In order to acquire preliminary information, a pretexter might call a victim and pretend that he is doing a survey for a particular company. These perpetrators ask seemingly harmless questions that are actually meant to solicit personal information like a birth date, the victim’s maiden name (if married), the pet’s name, and even the number and type/s of credit card/s the victim has. Some pretexters even make an extra effort to study their victim’s manner of speaking so that they will be able to give an excellent performance.

After gathering important background data, the pretexter uses the victim’s name and calls the bank. He tells the bank representative that he has misplaced his checkbook or lost his password. And since all necessary information has been verified, the bank representative obliges with the pretexter’s request. Once the perpetrator has the information he needs, he can move on to his next agenda: to squeeze the victim’s bank account and credit account until nothing is left of them.

Pretexting is a serious criminal act that not only violates a person’s privacy; it can also destroy a life. So if you put a high value on your life and on all your private assets, don’t be easily fooled in giving out confidential information. Think twice, even thrice, before answering questions from strangers.