False Memory

False Memory

Short Description: False memory formation occurs when imagination is mistaken for memory.

CAT ID: CAT-2022-059

Layer: 8

Operational Scale: Tactical

Level of Maturity: Well-Established

Category: Vulnerability

Subcategory:

Also Known As:

Description:

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Detailed Description: This occurs when imagination is mistaken for memory. The degree of falseness can be extreme in some situations.

INTERACTIONS [VETs]: Gas Lighting attempts to exploit false memory formation by injecting a false version of reality.

Examples:

Use Case Example(s):
Conversational History Phishing: An attacker sends a phishing email to a target which appears to be part of a chain of communications between the attackers and the target. This builds credibility in the message because its appears to part of an ongoing conversation. This tactic also has the strong potential to induce a false memory in the target, especially when it is consistent with other conversations the target has engaged in.

Multi-Channel Social Engineering: The attacker(s) send messages through multiple channels (email, SMS text, voice mail) all claiming that the target failed to take an action or meet an obligation (missed a meeting appointment for example). This redundancy of messages building upon each other reinforces the credibility of the over arching message and increases the likelihood of the implanting of a false memory.

Example(s) From The Wild: