I doubt they were spies, more likely private investigators. Maybe I am too naive here, but I don't think that spies, who had dedicated a long time of their life to training in acting and impersonation would act so amateurish. They would likely prepare quite some time for this very situation. If a spy acts in such a way that it endangers his/her identity so easily he/she would probably have been given a desk-job as analyst by then.
Sure it can always be that their vetting-process is shit -- but I doubt that a real intelligence agency would create such an easily falsifiable legend. From what I have read about the topic there are whole departments dedicated only to the task of building robust identities, companies and so on [these companies wouldn't only have existed on paper].
Retributions are also not very likely (at least in Canada). Anything that would attract the ire of the local or federal police and further endangers other operations in the country in question are very unlikely for such an insignificant target. Even at the height of the cold war keeping agents undercover was considered more important than conducting operations.
Sure it can always be that their vetting-process is shit -- but I doubt that a real intelligence agency would create such an easily falsifiable legend. From what I have read about the topic there are whole departments dedicated only to the task of building robust identities, companies and so on [these companies wouldn't only have existed on paper].
Retributions are also not very likely (at least in Canada). Anything that would attract the ire of the local or federal police and further endangers other operations in the country in question are very unlikely for such an insignificant target. Even at the height of the cold war keeping agents undercover was considered more important than conducting operations.