Pretexting in the 21st Century


By Juliana Morehead, J.D., CFE

Fraud & The Law 

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), pretexting is the practice of obtaining personal information under false pretenses. The pretexter often establishes a rapport with an unsuspecting victim by pretending to be someone from a trusted entity with which the victim has a relationship.

With the Hewlett-Packard (HP) pretexting case still fresh in our memories, we’ll describe its circumstances and results, review legislation, and discuss if it’s permissible to use the onerous method to obtain information in fraud examinations.


For full access to story, members may sign in here.

Not a member? Click here to Join Now. Or Click here to sign up for a FREE TRIAL.

Related Articles

Auditing Vendor Accounts for Fraud or at Least Some Cash Recovery

This article describes how to use automated tools in uncovering associated fraud within vendor accounts.

Computer Forensics

In this column, the author reviews hardware and software products that could aid the fraud examiner.

Taking the Store

In this column, Christopher Shell, an internal auditor, describes his experiences in the loss prevention area. He shows that inventory misappropriation in the retail industry is a difficult and challenging fraud environment to investigate and recommends loss prevention as an excellent way for college students to gain real-world experience dealing with fraud prevention and detection.