Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v13) — Question 5

Steve, an attacker, created a fake profile on a social media website and sent a request to Stella. Stella was enthralled by Steve’s profile picture and the description given for his profile, and she initiated a conversation with him soon after accepting the request. After a few days, Steve started asking about her company details and eventually gathered all the essential information regarding her company.
What is the social engineering technique Steve employed in the above scenario?

Answer options

• A. Baiting
• B. Piggybacking
• C. Diversion theft
• D. Honey trap

Correct answer: D

Explanation

Steve used the honey trap technique, which involves attracting a victim through a deceptive persona to gain their trust and extract sensitive information. The other options, such as baiting and piggybacking, do not apply here as they involve different methods of manipulation or access, not the use of a false romantic or friendly relationship.