Local 12: How scammers try to beat two-factor authentication
UC professor urges users to remain diligent about their online security
Two-factor authentication can be an extra layer of security to protect online accounts, but scammers have methods to try to get around the additional protection, a University of Cincinnati professor told Local 12.
Jacques Bou Abdo
With two-factor authentication, a second form of identification is required to access an account. Often, this is in the form of a one-time security code sent via an email or text message.
Scammers who have account log-in information will attempt to log in, triggering a two-factor authentication notification. They’ll also contact the account holder, posing as the institution associated with the account, in an attempt to get the account holder to reveal the authentication code.
So, it’s important for users to be diligent about their online security and not assume that two-factor authentication will protect them from all scams, said Jacques Bou Abdo, an assistant professor in UC’s School of Information Technology.
“The illusion of security you get from enabling the two-factor authentication is an illusion, and the user has to be really due diligent whether he has the factor authentication or not when he deals with the system,” Bou Abdo said.
Featured image at top: Two-factor authentication graphic. Photo/tsingha25via iStock
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC's art collection on display at the Contemporary Arts Center
January 5, 2026
University of Cincinnati leaders joined WVXU's Cincinnati Edition to talk about the university’s 200-year-old art collection, a new exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center and the release of a companion book exploring the collection’s role in education and public engagement.
UC faculty and staff among Rising Star leadership honorees
January 5, 2026
Two UC faculty and staff members are among this year's Rising Star leadership program sponsored by YWCA Greater Cincinnati. Kelli Beecher, assistant professor in the UC College of Nursing, and Brittany Bibb, assistant director of programs and operations in the UC Division of Student Affairs, are among the emerging leaders of 2026. They were featured in the publication Movers & Makers.
What's behind the mysterious rise of migraines?
January 5, 2026
Weather patterns such as extreme heat and storm conditions have been linked to migraine attacks, and research shows those environmental conditions are becoming more common. As National Geographic recently reported, one of the leading theories behind this mysterious rise is that climate change may be playing a role.