- A
Spear phishing
Why wrong: Spear phishing targets a specific individual, but whaling is a more specific term when the target or impersonated person is a senior executive. While related, whaling is the best answer here.
- B
Vishing
Why wrong: Vishing uses voice calls, not email. This attack was conducted via email.
- C
Whaling
Whaling is a phishing attack that targets senior executives (or impersonates them) to steal sensitive data or money. The email impersonating the CEO is a textbook example.
- D
Tailgating
Why wrong: Tailgating is a physical security breach, not an email-based attack.
Question 387 of 750
Whaling: Targeting High-Profile Individuals
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 reports receiving an email that appears to be from their CEO, urgently requesting that they purchase $500 in gift cards and reply with the codes. The email address looks slightly off (e.g., ceo@cornpany.com instead of ceo@company.com). What type of social engineering attack is this?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is whaling. This is a whaling attack example because the attacker specifically impersonated a high-profile individual—the CEO—to manipulate an employee into taking a financially damaging action, using a spoofed email address and a false sense of urgency. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish whaling from standard phishing or spear phishing; the key differentiator is the targeted impersonation of an executive or authority figure, not just any random person. A common trap is confusing whaling with spear phishing, but remember that whaling always involves a “big fish” like a CEO or CFO. To lock it in, think of the mnemonic “Whale = Big Fish, Big Target” to recall that whaling targets or impersonates top-level individuals.
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
✓
Whaling
Whaling is a targeted social engineering attack aimed at senior executives (the 'big fish') like the CEO. The email impersonates the CEO to trick the recipient into performing a financial action, and the slightly spoofed domain (cornpany.com vs company.com) is a classic indicator of a whaling attempt, as it exploits the authority of a high-level executive to bypass normal security checks.
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.
- ✗
Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing targets a specific individual, but whaling is a more specific term when the target or impersonated person is a senior executive. While related, whaling is the best answer here.
- ✗
Vishing
Why it's wrong here
Vishing uses voice calls, not email. This attack was conducted via email.
- ✓
Whaling
Why this is correct
Whaling is a phishing attack that targets senior executives (or impersonates them) to steal sensitive data or money. The email impersonating the CEO is a textbook example.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Tailgating
Why it's wrong here
Tailgating is a physical security breach, not an email-based attack.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between spear phishing (targeted at any individual) and whaling (specifically targeting executives or high-value targets), so the trap here is confusing the broad category of spear phishing with the more specific whaling attack due to the personalized nature of the email.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Whaling often leverages email spoofing techniques like SMTP header manipulation or lookalike domains (e.g., using homoglyphs or typosquatting) to bypass SPF/DKIM/DMARC checks if not properly configured. In real-world scenarios, attackers may research the CEO's communication style and use urgency to override the victim's rational judgment, exploiting the lack of multi-factor authentication for financial requests.
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
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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: Whaling — Whaling is a targeted social engineering attack aimed at senior executives (the 'big fish') like the CEO. The email impersonates the CEO to trick the recipient into performing a financial action, and the slightly spoofed domain (cornpany.com vs company.com) is a classic indicator of a whaling attempt, as it exploits the authority of a high-level executive to bypass normal security checks.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on 220-1202
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. 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?
easy- A.Shoulder surfing
- ✓ B.Phishing
- C.Tailgating
- D.Pretexting
Why B: 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.
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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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