CompTIA Exam CAS-003 Topic 8 Question 40 Discussion

A human resources employee receives a call from an individual who is representing a background verification firm that is conducting a background check on a prospective candidate. The employee verifies the employment dates and title of the candidate. The caller then requests the employee's email address to complete the verification process. The employee receives an email containing a URL for completing the process. After clicking the link, the employee's workstation is infected with ransomware. Which of the following BEST describes the initial phone call made by the threat actor?