- A
Shoulder surfing
Why wrong: Shoulder surfing involves directly observing someone's screen or keystrokes, not sending deceptive emails.
- B
Phishing
Phishing is the correct term for fraudulent emails designed to trick recipients into taking harmful actions, such as buying gift cards.
- C
Tailgating
Why wrong: Tailgating is when an unauthorized person follows an authorized person into a secure area, not a digital attack.
- D
Pretexting
Why wrong: Pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario to obtain information, but the primary vector here is the deceptive email, making phishing more specific.
Question 744 of 750
220-1202 Social Engineering Attacks Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of social engineering attacks. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user calls the help desk, frantic because they received an email from what appears to be the CEO asking them to urgently purchase $500 in gift cards for a client and reply with the codes. The email address looks slightly off, and the signature is missing the usual legal disclaimer. What type of social engineering attack is this most likely an example of?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Phishing
This is a classic example of phishing, specifically a subtype known as spear phishing or whaling, because the attacker impersonates a high-level executive (the CEO) to trick the user into performing a financial action. The telltale signs are the slightly off email address (spoofed domain or lookalike character) and the missing legal disclaimer, which are common indicators of a fraudulent email designed to harvest credentials or money. Phishing relies on social engineering to bypass technical controls by exploiting human trust and urgency.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Shoulder surfing
Why it's wrong here
Shoulder surfing involves directly observing someone's screen or keystrokes, not sending deceptive emails.
- ✓
Phishing
Why this is correct
Phishing is the correct term for fraudulent emails designed to trick recipients into taking harmful actions, such as buying gift cards.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Tailgating
Why it's wrong here
Tailgating is when an unauthorized person follows an authorized person into a secure area, not a digital attack.
- ✗
Pretexting
Why it's wrong here
Pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario to obtain information, but the primary vector here is the deceptive email, making phishing more specific.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The CompTIA A+ exam often tests the distinction between phishing and pretexting by presenting a scenario where the attacker uses a fabricated story (pretext) but delivers it via email, leading candidates to choose pretexting instead of recognizing that the email delivery method makes it phishing.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario to obtain information, but the primary vector here is the deceptive email, making phishing more specific.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Phishing attacks often leverage SMTP header manipulation, such as setting the 'From' address to a spoofed domain (e.g., ceo@cornpany.com instead of ceo@company.com) while the actual 'Return-Path' points to an attacker-controlled server. Modern phishing kits also use domain squatting (typosquatting) or homograph attacks with Unicode characters that visually resemble ASCII letters, bypassing basic spam filters. The missing legal disclaimer is a common oversight in phishing emails because attackers rarely replicate the full email policy footer, which can be a quick heuristic for detection.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Social Engineering Attacks — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Social Engineering Attacks — This question tests Social Engineering Attacks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Phishing — This is a classic example of phishing, specifically a subtype known as spear phishing or whaling, because the attacker impersonates a high-level executive (the CEO) to trick the user into performing a financial action. The telltale signs are the slightly off email address (spoofed domain or lookalike character) and the missing legal disclaimer, which are common indicators of a fraudulent email designed to harvest credentials or money. Phishing relies on social engineering to bypass technical controls by exploiting human trust and urgency.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.
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