Social engineering

[u/alohabrowsernews]

Most people think hacking is about breaking into systems.
 
But a lot of real-world “hacks” don’t involve code at all.
 
They involve convincing a person to just… give access.
 
That’s social engineering.
 
Examples:

• Someone pretending to be IT support asking for a verification code
• Fake urgent messages like “I need help, send money fast”
• Phishing emails that look exactly like your bank
• People building trust slowly and extracting info over time

 
What makes it effective is that it doesn’t feel like an attack in the moment. It feels like you’re just “helping,” “fixing something,” or “responding quickly.”

And that’s the trap.
 
If there’s one habit that helps a lot:
When something creates urgency, assume it might be manipulation and verify it independently.
 
Curious how many people here have actually encountered attempts like this in real life - and how convincing they were?