Internet culture
Social engineering
Manipulating people into disclosing information or taking harmful security actions.
In everyday use
A fake support agent asks for an account code.
What to keep in mind
Convincing language and familiar branding do not prove a request is genuine.
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Further reading
Original explanation and example by Perspectism. Further reading may cover the wider subject, rather than this exact wording. Edition updated 7 October 2026.
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