Pretexting is a criminal method of acquiring private information by pretending to be a legitimate authority and is primarily done over the phone. Pretexter can then sell this information or use this for identity theft.
In typical cases, Pretexter uses already accessible information like pubic records or stolen records such as bank statements to build authority and uses a series of question to collect personal information. The technique is also used to collect consumer information from businesses such as banks and credit card companies.
Be careful when a stranger calls asking for personal information even if the call appear to be from legitimate source. These people are good at appearing to be legitimate.
