Social engineering
Tricking a person, rather than a computer, into giving access, money or information, using trust, fear or urgency.
Most attacks don't break in; they get let in. Social engineering is the craft of making a request feel normal: the right name, the right logo, a deadline, a worry. The target does the rest, typing the password, reading out the code or sending the payment themselves.
AI has made the craft cheaper and better. The clumsy spelling that used to give scams away is gone, messages can mention your town, your employer or your last order, and a cloned voice or a face on a video call can sound and look like someone you know.
What hasn't changed is that the scam still needs you to act through a channel the scammer controls. Step outside that channel, and the polish stops mattering.
For example
A caller says they're from your bank's fraud team, reads out your last purchase and asks you to "confirm" a code.
Put it to use
Where you'll meet social engineering in ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, how to use it there, and the mix-up most people make.
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