​Social Engineering (SE) encompasses various tactics that exploit human vulnerabilities to execute security attacks. This paper provides a thorough review and synthesis of recent literature on social engineering by employing a multidimensional approach which examines the nature of SE, its lifecycle, methods, impact, and strategies for defense. Review papers that review recent literature while taking into consideration these dimensions of SE are still limited and do not consider 2023 literature. To achieve our aim, Materials covering the timeframe from 2016 to 2023 were sourced and reviewed from databases such as IEEE Xplore, Emerald, ProQuest, ACM, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and other relevant sources and online statistics. The research findings underscore the ongoing challenge of preventing social engineering attacks, with no organization in the twenty-first century being entirely immune. Among the identified attack methods, phishing emerges as the most prevalent and researched form of social engineering. From the literature review, practical implications for businesses emerge, categorized into three areas: the organization, its employees, and the technology they employ. These insights can help organizations enhance their security measures against social engineering attacks.​