Scammers Target Ships with Fake 'Safe Passage' Offers Through Hormuz

Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, requesting crypto payments in exchange for secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one vessel reportedly falling victim to the scam. According to reports, Marisks, a maritime risk services company, has issued a warning about scammers posing as Iranian authorities and asking for bitcoin or USDT payments. The company believes that at least one ship has been targeted and was fired upon while attempting to pass through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since late February, leaving around 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The U.S. has initiated a naval blockade of the strait and seized an Iranian vessel trying to evade it. Recently, Tehran proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels in exchange for safe transit, with fees likely to be charged in bitcoin. Marisks has assured that the messages are a scam and did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages claim that after providing documents and assessing eligibility, the Iranian Security Services will determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded.