Scammers Target Ships Stranded by Hormuz Blockade with Fake 'Safe Passage' Offers

Shipping companies are being deceived by fraudulent messages requesting crypto payments in exchange for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one vessel reportedly falling victim to the scam. According to a warning issued by Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services firm, several shipping companies received messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities, asking for bitcoin or USDT payments. The company believes that at least one ship was targeted and came under fire while attempting to navigate the strait over the weekend. The Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since late February, resulting in approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters being stranded in the Gulf. The US and Israel initiated a conflict with Iran, prompting a naval blockade of the strait and the seizure of an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the operation. Recently, Tehran proposed the introduction of cryptocurrency tolls for vessels in exchange for secure transit, with bitcoin being the likely payment method. Marisks has assured that the messages are scams and did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages claimed that upon providing documents and assessing eligibility, a fee in cryptocurrency would be determined, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.