Pretexting is a social engineering technique used to deceive individuals by creating a false pretext or scenario in order to obtain sensitive information or gain unauthorized access to systems. In pretexting attacks, the attacker often impersonates someone trustworthy, such as a co-worker, customer service representative, or authority figure, to manipulate the target into disclosing confidential information. The attacker may use various tactics, such as building rapport, creating urgency, or exploiting the target's trust, to convince them to share sensitive data or perform actions that compromise security. Pretexting relies on psychological manipulation and clever storytelling to trick individuals into revealing valuable information.