bait

Bait refers to any substance or object used to attract and entice a target, often in the context of fishing, hunting, or trapping. In fishing, bait can be live organisms, like worms or minnows, or artificial lures designed to mimic their movement and scent. In a broader sense, the term is also used in strategies like phishing in cybersecurity, where deceptive messages lure individuals into revealing personal information. Effectively, bait is a tool that captivates attention, leading the target to engage, often with the intention of capturing or exploiting them.