Question

licensee greg received an email from his broker asking him to provide a copy of a real estate transaction, so he emails the document to him right away. later, greg asked the broker if he received the document, and he learns his broker was not the sender of the email. this type of scheme is called:

pharming
smishing
spear phishing
vishing

Explanation:

Analyze the attack vector

The attack was initiated via an email targeting a specific individual (Greg) and impersonating a specific trusted entity (his broker) to steal sensitive transaction documents.

Evaluate the options

• Pharming: Redirects website traffic to a spoofed site.
• Smishing: Phishing conducted via SMS text messaging.
• Spear Phishing: A targeted phishing attack aimed at a specific individual or organization, often impersonating known contacts.
• Vishing: Phishing conducted via voice calls or phone systems.

Determine the correct term

Since the attack is a highly targeted email impersonating Greg's specific broker, it is classified as spear phishing.

Answer:

• Pharming
• Smishing
• Spear Phishing (Correct answer)
• Vishing