How social engineering scamsters get victims to reveal sensitive data

MANIPULATING USER BEHAVIOUR

- BY ABDULLA RASHEED | Abu Dhabi Editor

Have you have received fake messages, suspicious calls, or irresistible offers? These are often gateways into the world of fraud known as 'social engineering'.

The Government Empowerment Department in Abu Dhabi warned that social engineering schemes rely heavily on AI to manipulate user behaviour and extract personal information.

Four basic social engineering steps

It warned that detecting these scams is becoming increasingly difficult and that a single misstep could jeopardise an entire organisation. It outlined four basic steps commonly used in such schemes:

■ Information gathering: Collecting personal details about the target.

■ Contact and trust building: Reaching out and creating a sense of trust.

■ Exploitation: Using that trust to extract valuable information or access.