Social Engineering Task #2

My task was to get someone to let me cut them in line. My task was ultimately successful.

In order to execute my task I specifically waited until I was in a store that does not have a huge line at the checkout (typically). A Walgreens worked just fine. I grabbed a drink from the fridge while I waited until about two people were in line. This didn't take long. I pulled my phone out and opened the Uber app. I then left the Uber app on the map screen. Just about when the first person was done ringing out I asked the second person in line "Is it alright if I go ahead of you really quick? My Uber is right outside waiting for me" as I quickly showed them my Uber app that was only on the map screen. Quick enough that they didn't notice I didn't have a ride requested but slow enough that it is the recognizable Uber app or if they don't know what the app is like they at least saw cars and a map. They let me in front with no hesitation. Paid for my drink and booked it out the store as if I went to go catch that Uber.

Setting false pretenses into tricking someone to be compliant. In a real life situation a person could apply these techniques by creating a false sense of urgency for a victim to react. My reasoning for using the Uber app trick was that it made it seem "urgent" which prompted the person to give a quicker response than if I had just asked a normal question. Given the weight of my "urgency" along with the simplicity of my request my victim almost instinctively agreed.

It can be alarmingly easy to create a fake scenario where a person can press a victim into performing actions that would be against their best interest. A good way someone would perform these actions can be someone who wants to plan a surprise party. Condition and create a false pretense that everything is normal for that day while the person who is being lead to the surprise party unsuspectingly goes along with it. A morally wrong way of performing these actions would be to exploit people directly. Call someone with iPhone and let them know that "Your iTunes account has been compromised. Please verify your account login and password or it will be immediately locked." The false pretense along with the urgency is there. Quite a lot of people would fall for this easily and not give it a second thought as to what they're doing.