pretexting

British  

/ ˈpriːtɛkstɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice of deceiving individuals into surrendering personal information for fraudulent purposes

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Example Sentences

Spies, private investigators, criminals, and even some journalists have long used false identities to trick people into providing information, a practice known as pretexting.

From The New Yorker

The Internet made pretexting easier.

From The New Yorker

As a result of this pretexting, the investigation subsequently identified a fifteen year old who was arrested after he clicked a link to specific web page in the spoof-site that was sent to his anonymous social media account.

From Forbes

The deal capped a tumultuous decade for the company that included the 2006 "pretexting" scandal, which led to the resignation of Chairwoman Patricia Dunn.

From New York Times

Clearly a violation of privacy, the law was clarified in 2007 to formally make pretexting illegal.

From New York Times