Fake defection, often referred to as a "provocation"[1] or "dangle" in intelligence circles, is a defection by an intelligence agent made on false pretenses. Fake defectors (who may be referred to as "plant"s) may spread disinformation or aid in uncovering moles. The risk that a defection may be fake is often a concern by intelligence agencies debriefing defectors.[2][3]
Examples of Soviet defectors that some sources have considered fake include Oleg Penkovsky (considered fake by Peter Wright and James Angleton[4]) and Vitaly Yurchenko. Examples of US fake defection operations include Operation Shocker.
In fiction, examples of fake defection include the James Bond film The Living Daylights (1987), a subplot in the TV Show The Americans, the novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and its film adaptation,[5] and Torn Curtain (1966 film).[6]
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