- A
Shoulder surfing
Why wrong: Shoulder surfing involves looking over someone's shoulder to obtain information, not sending deceptive emails.
- B
Phishing
Phishing uses fraudulent communications, often email, to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or performing actions like purchasing gift cards.
- C
Tailgating
Why wrong: Tailgating is a physical security breach where an unauthorized person follows an authorized person into a restricted area.
- D
Dumpster diving
Why wrong: Dumpster diving involves searching through trash for discarded documents or media containing sensitive information, not sending emails.
Question 707 of 750
Phishing: CEO Impersonation Email
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 claiming they received an urgent email from the CEO asking them to purchase gift cards for a client and reply with the codes. The user is suspicious because the email address looks slightly off. What type of social engineering attack is this?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is phishing, specifically a form of spear phishing or whaling, because the attacker impersonates a high-level executive like the CEO to manipulate the target into taking a specific action—here, purchasing gift cards and replying with the codes. This attack exploits authority and urgency, bypassing technical defenses by relying on human error, and the slightly altered email address is a classic red flag of a spoofed sender. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish phishing from other social engineering types like vishing or pretexting; a common trap is confusing it with impersonation alone, but the key is the electronic delivery via email. Remember the memory tip: if it’s a fake email from a boss asking for gift cards, think “Phish the CEO, not the fish.”
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 phishing attack because the attacker impersonates a trusted entity (the CEO) via email to trick the user into performing a fraudulent action (purchasing gift cards and sharing codes). The suspicious email address indicates a spoofed sender, a common phishing technique that exploits trust and urgency to bypass user skepticism.
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 looking over someone's shoulder to obtain information, not sending deceptive emails.
- ✓
Phishing
Why this is correct
Phishing uses fraudulent communications, often email, to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or performing actions like purchasing gift cards.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Tailgating
Why it's wrong here
Tailgating is a physical security breach where an unauthorized person follows an authorized person into a restricted area.
- ✗
Dumpster diving
Why it's wrong here
Dumpster diving involves searching through trash for discarded documents or media containing sensitive information, not sending emails.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between social engineering attack types by using a scenario that involves electronic communication (email) to trick the user, leading candidates to confuse phishing with physical or observation-based attacks like shoulder surfing or tailgating.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Phishing attacks often leverage email spoofing via SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) without authentication, allowing the attacker to forge the 'From' header to appear as the CEO. Modern defenses like SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) help detect such spoofing by verifying the sending server's authorization. In a real-world scenario, an attacker might register a lookalike domain (e.g., ce0@company.com instead of ceo@company.com) to bypass casual inspection.
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.
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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 phishing attack because the attacker impersonates a trusted entity (the CEO) via email to trick the user into performing a fraudulent action (purchasing gift cards and sharing codes). The suspicious email address indicates a spoofed sender, a common phishing technique that exploits trust and urgency to bypass user skepticism.
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.
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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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