Social engineering is a complex method cybercriminals use to manipulate people into revealing sensitive information or grant unauthorized access to systems or accounts. It exploits human trust, curiosity, or urgency to bypass technical defenses and infiltrate networks.
In 2025, nearly 36% of successful cyber‑intrusions began with a social‑engineering technique, and about 60% of these attacks led to data exposure. But most of these cases could’ve been prevented if individuals were properly trained to recognize them early on.
In this article, we will explore how social engineering unfolds in the real world, using concrete examples and how business can defend themselves against these increasingly common threats.
Social Engineering vs Phishing Attacks
Social engineering is a broad technique that manipulates people to gain access to sensitive information or systems. It includes a variety of tactics such as impersonation, pretexting, and even physical deception. The goal is to exploit human trust, curiosity, or fear to bypass security measures.
Phishing is a specific type of social engineering, usually carried out through email or messages, designed to trick people into revealing personal information, like login credentials. Phishing emails often look like they come from trusted sources, urging the victim to click on a link or download an attachment.
The difference between the two is who they target and at what scale:
- Social engineering can target individuals in various ways, such as phone calls or face-to-face interactions. They often go after specific individuals with tailored scams.
- Phishing relies on digital communication, and attacks are often scaled up to reach a large audience, with cybercriminals sending out thousands of emails, hoping to catch a few victims.
Both methods exploit human psychology, but phishing is more focused on exploiting digital vulnerabilities, while social engineering can target both digital and physical environments.
Social Engineering Techniques Used by Hackers
Because social engineering targets human behavior, it’s important for every individual operating in the digital space to know about the methods attackers use. This way, businesses can create stronger defenses not just around their technology, but also around their people.
Here are some of the most common social engineering techniques hackers use to steal credentials, gain unauthorized access, or plant malware:
- Establishing Trust – Attackers often build rapport and gain the victim’s trust by using familiarity or authority. This might involve impersonating someone the victim knows or using flattery to lower defenses.
- Urgency and Pressure – Attackers create a sense of urgency to pressure the victim into acting quickly, without thinking. This urgency bypasses rational thinking and leads to hasty decisions, often resulting in a breach.
- Reciprocity – The principle of reciprocity involves the attacker giving something small or offering a favor to the victim, expecting something in return. The victim feels obligated to comply because they received something from the attacker, whether it’s help with a technical issue or a “free trial” offer.
- Exploiting Fear – In this case, an attacker might send a message that the victim’s account has been compromised and that immediate action is required to secure it. Fear leads to impulsive actions, like clicking a malicious link or sharing login credentials.
- Manipulating Emotions – Attackers use emotional triggers, such as sympathy or guilt, to exploit their victims. For example, they may impersonate a colleague in distress, asking for an urgent transfer of funds, or pretend to be a charity in need of donations, preying on the victim’s good nature.
- Information Overload – Attackers may overwhelm their target with a flood of information, designed to confuse or distract them. By making the situation seem complex or urgent, the victim may overlook inconsistencies in the attacker’s story, leading them to comply without scrutinizing the details.
Social Engineering Types
Social engineering is complex, often covering various types of cyberattacks. Whether it’s digital, physical, or via phone calls, each method targets human reaction under pressure. Their aim is to manipulate people into revealing sensitive information. Understanding these attacks can help business train their staff to avoid falling victim.
Below, we have the most common types of social engineering attacks:
- Phishing, Spear‑Phishing, Smishing, Vishing – Attackers send fake emails, texts, or make phone calls pretending to be trusted entities (a bank, a colleague, or a vendor) to trick people into entering login details, clicking harmful links, or revealing sensitive information.
- Pretexting – In pretexting, the attacker creates a believable story, often posing as IT support, an auditor, or a vendor, in order to gain the target’s trust and convince them to share confidential information or grant access.
- Baiting – This technique exploits curiosity. For example, an attacker might leave a USB drive labeled “Confidential” in a public space, hoping someone will plug it into their computer, unknowingly releasing malware or revealing sensitive data.
- Quid Pro Quo – In a quid pro quo attack, the hacker offers something in exchange (for instance, “helping” with computer problems) hoping the victim will give them access or share login credentials in return.
- Tailgating (Physical Intrusion) – Cybercriminals may use deception to gain physical access to secure areas, such as posing as a delivery person or contractor and following someone into a restricted zone.
- Water‑Holing and Website‑Based Deception – In this case, attackers compromise websites their target often visits, leading to the delivery of malicious code or requests for login credentials under false pretenses.
- Scareware – Scareware involves attackers displaying fake pop-up messages or warnings that claim the user’s computer is infected. The purpose is to scare the user into downloading malicious software or giving away personal information.
- Whaling – Whaling is a highly targeted form of phishing that focuses on high-level executives within a company, such as CEOs or CFOs. These attacks often impersonate trusted contacts, asking for urgent financial transfers or access to confidential company data.
- Business Email Compromise (BEC) – In a business email compromise attack, cybercriminals manipulate legitimate email communications within a company to redirect payments, steal funds, or extract sensitive information.
Real-Life Examples of Social Engineering Cases
Social engineering attacks continue to rise, and the consequences often involve incredibly costly recoveries. It’s important to look at some real-life cases to understand how these attacks exploit trust, emotions, and deception.
In May 2024, Arup reported that a fraudster used deep-fake audio and video files to impersonate senior executives and trick an employee into transferring HK$200 million (over $25 million). This case highlights how attackers are using AI-generated voices and video to breach traditional security measures and manipulate human trust.
In May 2025, Coinbase confirmed a major data breach when cybercriminals bribed overseas support staff to leak sensitive customer information, including names, birthdates, emails, and partial Social Security numbers. This data was used to launch targeted social engineering attacks. Coinbase rejected a $20 million ransom and instead offered a bounty for the attackers, while preparing reimbursements for affected users, which could cost hundreds of millions.
A UK-based cybercriminal group, Scattered Spider, targeted retailers like Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods using social engineering tactics. Posing as IT or service desk staff, the attackers convinced employees to reset credentials or disable multi-factor authentication. Once inside, they deployed ransomware, disrupting e-commerce and in-store operations, and costing Marks & Spencer around £300 million.
How to Prevent Social Engineering Attacks
With the right knowledge and training, businesses can recognize and prevent social engineering attacks before they cause irreversible damage.
Here are a few key steps to consider:
- Employee Awareness and Training – Regular social engineering testing can help staff recognize tricks like phishing, impersonation, or fake requests. Keep the training ongoing, so teams can stay alert and spot when attackers try to manipulate their emotions.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – MFA must be implemented for all important accounts. Even if a password gets stolen, MFA adds a second layer of security, making it much harder for attackers to break in.
- Strong Verification Procedures – Set up a clear process to double-check sensitive requests. For example, if someone asks for money or account changes, always verify it through a trusted channel, like calling a known phone number, instead of just replying to an email.
- Install Anti-Phishing Tools – Use tools that can stop phishing emails before they reach your employees, such as modern spam filters and email verification systems (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC). This method helps block malicious emails from getting into inboxes.
- Encourage Incident Reporting and Have a Plan – Create a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting suspicious emails, phone calls, or requests. Have a clear plan in place for investigating these reports, stopping any attacks, and learning from each incident how to improve security moving forward.
Boost Employee Awareness with Advanced Social Engineering Testing Services
As social engineering attacks continue to rise, businesses are facing a growing threat that can have devastating consequences, and recovering can be financially exhausting. This is why prevention is a necessity for every individual practicing good cybersecurity.
At CyberGlobal, we understand the critical nature of protecting your business from these malicious threats.
Our team of experts specializes in social engineering testing services, designed to not only identify weaknesses but also equip your employees with the awareness they need to recognize and resist these attacks.
To give you a true picture of your company’s vulnerability, we use a range of social engineering techniques, such as:
- Bulk phishing
- Spear phishing
- Vishing (voice phishing)
- SMiShing (SMS phishing)
- Impersonation
These methods are used in live simulations where employees are unaware that they are part of a security exercise. The goal is to see how well they can detect and resist these common attack methods.
After each test, we provide a detailed report, showing you how many employees interacted with malicious emails, whether they clicked on links, provided sensitive information, or reported the suspicious activity. We also offer clear, actionable recommendations to improve your defenses and reduce the risk of an attack.
Our Process: A Step-by-Step Approach to Better Security
- Open-Source Intelligence Gathering: We gather publicly available information to plan the engagement, making our tactics feel as authentic as possible.
- Physical Reconnaissance: By observing office environments, jargon, and access points, we gather additional insights to inform our approach.
- Engagement: We initiate simulated phishing, vishing, and impersonation attacks to test your employees’ responses in real-time.
- Exploitation: If successful, we act on the pre-defined goal, whether extracting information or gaining access to specific systems or areas.
- Closure & Training: Once the exercise ends without raising suspicion, we share a comprehensive report and provide training to your team on how to handle future threats.
But beyond our advanced tools and technology, what makes CyberGlobal stand out is our people.
Our team of experts work diligently not only to deliver top-notch services, but also to offer genuine human support when you need it the most. We take our time to understand your business’s security posture and to build a customized defense strategy that fits for your particular digital environment.
We speak your language, and we make sure that you and your team are ready to face social engineering attacks when they inevitably target you. With the right knowledge and training, you can avoid the risks and protect your business, starting today.
Don’t let cybercriminals compromise what you value most.
Reach out to CyberGlobal, and together we’ll strengthen your business’s digital security.
