legend

A fabricated life story used by a person operating under cover, usually backed up by documents and memorised details.

Definition based on the International Spy Museum glossary.¹

Legends are typical of illegals, who operate without diplomatic immunity. In its 2010 criminal complaint the US Department of Justice describes SVR illegals as people trained before being sent abroad, living for years under false identities and concealing any links to Russia. In its announcement of 28 June 2010 on the arrest of ten of them, some of the defendants were presented under assumed names (“known as”); the department stressed that the charges were merely allegations.^2,3

The International Spy Museum also mentions document forgers, known in the jargon as “cobblers”, who fake passports, visas and diplomas, and pocket litter – small items carried in the pockets, such as receipts or tickets, that make a false identity more convincing.¹