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

Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, requesting crypto payments in exchange for safe passage across the Strait of Hormuz, with reports suggesting 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, asking for bitcoin or USDT. The firm 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 February 28, following the initiation of a war in the region, leaving approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The US has since imposed a naval blockade, seizing an Iranian vessel that attempted to evade the operation. Recently, Tehran proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe passage, with fees likely to be paid 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 assessment by the Iranian Security Services, a fee in cryptocurrency will be determined, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.