Scammers Target Ships Stranded by Hormuz Blockade with Crypto Payment Schemes

Fraudulent messages have been sent to shipowners, asking for cryptocurrency payments in exchange for secure transit across the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, at least one vessel may have fallen victim to the scam. Marisks, a maritime risk services company, has issued a warning after several shipping companies received messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities, requesting bitcoin or USDT payments. The firm believes that one ship was targeted and fired upon while attempting to pass through the strait. The shipping traffic through the strait has been largely blocked by Iran since the US and Israel initiated military action in the region. With roughly 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf, the situation has become increasingly dire. The US has imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, seizing one Iranian vessel that attempted to evade the operation. Tehran has proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels in exchange for safe transit, with the fees likely to be paid in bitcoin. Marisks has assured that the messages did not originate from official Iranian sources, stating, 'These specific messages are a scam.' The fraudulent messages have been reported to say, 'After providing the documents and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will be able to determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.'