Had to choose between a 2FA app or SMS codes for my bank account

I picked the authenticator app because it felt safer, but then I dropped my phone in a puddle outside the 7-Eleven on Elm Street. Spent two hours at the bank with my license to prove I was me just to reset everything. Funny enough, the branch manager said they still get people who use SMS and get their SIM swapped instead. Anyone else had a 2FA recovery fail like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_skyler24d ago

Ha, classic. So you traded SIM swap paranoia for the "I'm a moron who dropped my phone in a puddle" plan. Real smart. At least the branch manager got a good story out of it, probably tells that one at boring staff meetings. I swear, 2FA is just a fancy way of saying "find a new way to lock yourself out." Bet you had to recite your first pet's name and your grandma's maiden name three times too, just for fun.

mason_jackson23d ago

People act like 2FA is some kind of security fortress but it's really just a system designed to make you jump through hoops until you mess up. Dropping your phone in a puddle? That's just a Tuesday for most of us. The bank probably has a whole binder of "idiot customer recovery stories" they pass around at lunch. And yeah, you better believe they made you verify your childhood address and your dad's favorite color before they gave you back access. Two factor authentication just means two chances to get locked out forever.