for the (pretty) new word files...

[Laurence Horn]

I can't remember if this was nominated before, but I just came across
the verb "pretext" and the verbal noun "pretexting" that had been
unfamiliar to me (although reasonably transparent).  Some definitions
from early cites:

pretexting, the practice of gathering private information under false pretenses

the practice of "pretexting," in which "information brokers" call
financial institutions and obtain personal account information by
posing as customers

There are 110 Nexis hits for "pretexting", of which 100 are from
2006.  The first is 2001, though.

LH

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