The primary difference between pretexting and phishing is that pretexting sets up a future attack, while phishing can be the attack itself. In fact, many phishing attempts are built around pretexting scenarios.

Phishing uses fear and urgency to its advantage, but pretexting relies on building a false sense of trust with the victim. This requires building a credible story that leaves little room for doubt in the mind of their target. It also involves choosing a suitable disguise. As such, pretexting can and does take on various forms.

In cybersecurity, pretexting can be considered one of the earliest stages of evolution for social engineering. For example, while the social engineering attack known as phishing relies on modern items such as credit cards and mainly occurs in the electronic space, pretexting was and can be implemented without technology.