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

Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, requesting crypto payments in exchange for unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with reports suggesting at least one vessel may have fallen victim to the scam. Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, has issued a warning after several shipping companies received messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities, asking for bitcoin or USDT payments. The firm believes that at least one ship was targeted and came under fire while attempting to pass through the strait. The shipping traffic through the strait 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 imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and seized an Iranian vessel trying to evade the operation. Tehran has proposed the introduction of cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe transit, with fees likely to be charged in bitcoin. Marisks has assured that the messages are scams and did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages claim that upon providing documents and assessing eligibility, a fee in cryptocurrency will be determined, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded.