pretexting

noun
Impersonating another person or otherwise engaging in misrepresentation in order to obtain an individual's private personal information.
Related Forms:
- pre′text′er
noun
pretexting

Verb
- Present participle of pretext.
pretexting - Computer Definition

A means of social engineering in which a person gains unauthorized access to information under false pretenses, perhaps by pretending to be a person authorized to have such access.

Pretending to be someone else in order to obtain information, typically over the phone. See social engineering.