• WoodScientist@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    Want to know how Luigi found what hotel Brian Thompson stayed at? It’s right in his “manifesto.” He used social engineering.

    Social engineering is when you just take advantage of people’s natural predilictions to give you info or access that you shouldn’t have. For example, if he were to just call up UHC and ask them where the CEO was staying, they would likely just have called the police. Instead, he had to think of some plausible reason that someone might need that info through unofficial channels. I have no idea how he actually did it, but for example, Thompson was a famous womanizer who cheated on his wife. He was your standard sleazy executive scumbag. That can be exploited.

    *Hi, CEO’s office? I’m John Doe, an underling over at the CFO’s office. My boss wants to give Brian a special surprise at this year’s company meeting. We’re thinking of hiring a few girls to come over and keep him company one evening. I need to know where to have them sent. I would send an email or look up the info in our records system, but, as you can understand, it’s best if there’s no paper trail. Can you let me know what hotel he’s staying at?"

    These social engineering methods are the same tools scammers use, but they work just as well for assassins.