diff --git a/detect_secrets/plugins/aws.py b/detect_secrets/plugins/aws.py
index 0d1604174..23afd1610 100644
--- a/detect_secrets/plugins/aws.py
+++ b/detect_secrets/plugins/aws.py
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ class AWSKeyDetector(RegexBasedDetector):
 
     denylist = (
         re.compile(r'AKIA[0-9A-Z]{16}'),
+
+        # This examines the variable name to identify AWS secret tokens.
+        # The order is important since we want to prefer finding `AKIA`-based
+        # keys (since they can be verified), rather than the secret tokens.
+        re.compile(r'aws.{0,20}?[\'\"]([0-9a-zA-Z/+]{40})[\'\"]'),
     )
 
     def verify(       # type: ignore[override]  # noqa: F821
@@ -31,6 +36,11 @@ def verify(       # type: ignore[override]  # noqa: F821
         secret: str,
         context: CodeSnippet,
     ) -> VerifiedResult:
+        # As this verification process looks for multi-factor secrets, by assuming that
+        # the identified secret token is the key ID (then looking for the corresponding secret).
+        # we quit early if it fails our assumptions.
+        if not self.denylist[0].match(secret):
+            return VerifiedResult.UNVERIFIED
         secret_access_key_candidates = get_secret_access_keys(context)
         if not secret_access_key_candidates:
             return VerifiedResult.UNVERIFIED
diff --git a/tests/plugins/aws_key_test.py b/tests/plugins/aws_key_test.py
index 2c5f4f448..6174a857c 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/aws_key_test.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/aws_key_test.py
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@ def setup(self):
                 'AKIAZZZ',
                 False,
             ),
+            (
+                'aws_access_key = "{}"'.format(EXAMPLE_SECRET),
+                True,
+            ),
+            (
+                'aws_access_key = "{}"'.format(EXAMPLE_SECRET + 'a'),
+                False,
+            ),
+            (
+                'aws_access_key = "{}"'.format(EXAMPLE_SECRET[0:39]),
+                False,
+            ),
         ],
     )
     def test_analyze(self, line, should_flag):
@@ -48,6 +60,11 @@ def test_verify_no_secret(self):
             get_code_snippet([], 1),
         ) == VerifiedResult.UNVERIFIED
 
+        assert logic.verify(
+            EXAMPLE_SECRET,
+            get_code_snippet([], 1),
+        ) == VerifiedResult.UNVERIFIED
+
     def test_verify_valid_secret(self):
         with mock.patch(
             'detect_secrets.plugins.aws.verify_aws_secret_access_key',