With the launch of Trapped Undercover, we've got all things espionage on our mind. As such, we've found some of the best terms to learn to really nail down your spy alias. In Trapped Undercover, you step into the role of an MI6 Intelligence Agent, on the hunt for a double agent. What better way to get ready for the experience than to learn to talk like a real-life spy?
A
ACCESS AGENT
A recruiter for an intelligence service that finds potential agents
AGENT
A person employed by an intelligence service such as MI6
ALIAS
A fake identity that an operative takes to cover their real identity
ASSET
A valuable source or method, normally an agent
ASSET VALIDATION
Ensuring that an asset or information is truthful and correct
B
BABYSITTER
A bodyguard
BIRDWATCHER
A British Intelligence term for a spy
BLACK-BAG JOB
Entry into a home, office or location to steal materials or information
BLIND DATE
An agent meeting someone, usually another operative, that they've never met before
BRUSH CONTACT
A brief encounter where information or material is passed between two people
C
CHICKEN FEED
Feeding small, and usually non-dangerous, information to an enemy intelligence agency through an agent or double agent to provide credibility to the agent
CLEAN PHONE
A brand new, and usually prepaid phone, that can't be traced; also known as a burner phone
COMPROMISED
When information, an asset or operative's cover is uncovered
COOKED
Information that is either fake or mixed with fake information to pass fake information to an enemy organisation or agent
D
DEAD DROP
A place where materials are left for another party to find
DEEP COVER
A fake identity that is so complete that even those close to you, even romantic partners or family, don't know it's a fake identity
DEFECTOR
An agent or operation who renounces their original agency for a new one, usually an enemy intelligence service
DOUBLE AGENT
A spy who pretends to work for one agency but is in reality working for another
E
EARS ONLY
Materials or information that is just for one specific person to hear
EXECUTIVE ACTION
Assassination of a person or target
EXFILTRATION
A rescue operation to safely extract an agent, a defector, refugee or operative and their family, usually to keep them from danger
EYES ONLY
Materials or information that are just for one specific person to see
F
FALSE FLAG RECRUITMENT
An agent impersonating someone else for the purposes of recruiting a double agent, informant or defector
FRIENDS
A British term for members of an allied Intelligence Agency
FRONT
A legitimate seeming business that operates as cover for agents or an operation
FUNNY PAPER
Counterfeit or forged documents
G
GHOUL
Someone who searches graveyards and records of the deceased to use their name and/or identities for agents
H
HANDLER
An operative whose job is to handle agents in operations
HARD MAN
An experienced agent who has been in very hostile situations and survived, or who has killed on operations
HELLO NUMBER
A number that an operative can call to say they're in danger
HONEY TRAP
Using an agent in sexual situations to intimidate or entrap others
HOSTILE
A term for enemy agents or organisations
HUNTING PACK
A term for a surveillance team
I
INFORMANT
Someone who provides information to an intelligence agency or organisation
INNOCENT POSTCARD
A simple message sent to an address to verify the safety of an undercover agent
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
A member of an intelligence agency
J
JACK IN THE BOX
A dummy placed in a vehicle or location to lead others to believe it's a person
JOE
Term for a deep cover agent
L
L-PILL
A poisonous pill used by agents to commit suicide
LIVE DROP
Handing materials or information face-to-face
M
MOLE
A double agent, an agent of an one organisation who works within another organisation to steal information
MUSIC BOX
Slang for radio, usually containing a message over the radio for an agent
MUSICIAN
Someone who operates the 'Music Box' and message
N
NAKED
An agent operating without cover
NIGHTCRAWLER
An agent who goes to bars and nightclubs trying to find other agents and operations who are compromised from alcohol or drugs
NUGGET
A British term for bait used to tempt a potential defector
O
OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE
Information found from public sources
P
POCKET LITTER
Material to help complete a fake identity, usually with information found in a person's pockets that helps the cover story; such as travel cards, tickets and receipts
PLAYBACK
Giving false information to an enemy organisation or agent while getting correct information from them in turn
R
RAVEN
A male agent used to seduce people for operations
ROLLED-UP
When an operation goes bad and the agent is arrested
ROLLING CAR PICKUP
An operation to pick someone up in a car without the car coming to a stop
S
SAFEHOUSE
A safe location or hideout that is unknown to enemy agents
SLEEPER AGENT
An agent living as a citizen in a foreign country, not involved in espionage until given orders by their intelligence agency
SPOOK
British term for a spy
SPYMASTER
A leader of a spy ring or intelligence agency
SWALLOW
A female agent used to seduce people for operations
T
TARGET
The subject of surveillance or an operation
THREE Bs
The three temptations of an agent - booze, broads and bucars
THROWAWAY
An agent or operative that is expendable to an operation or organisation
TRIPLE AGENT
An agent who may appear to be working for two intelligence agencies, either as an operative or double agent, but is working for a third agency
U
UNCLE
Term for the headquarters of any espionage service
W
WALK-IN
A defector who approaches an enemy organisation seeking asylum or offering to work for them
WALLET LITTER
Material to help complete a fake identity, usually with information found in a wallet that helps the cover story; such as tickets, receipts, ID cards
WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS
An operation so complicated that it's not possible to separate truth from fiction
WINDOW DRESSING
Material that is used to help make cover believable, used to convince enemy agents or bystanders