False Hope

Hope in which expectations are based on (i) illusions rather than reality, (ii) unsuitable goals being pursued and (iii) poor strategies to achieve desired goals. False hope is often contrasted with hope, which is a “motivational state based on an inter-actively derived sense of successful (i) agency (goal-directed energy) and (ii) pathways (planning to meet goals).

Reference:
Snyder, C. R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249-275. doi: 10.1207/S15327965PLI1304_01.