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

Shipping companies have been receiving deceptive messages requesting crypto payments in exchange for secure passage across the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one vessel reportedly falling victim to the scam. According to Reuters, 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. The firm believes that at least one ship was targeted and came under fire while attempting to pass through the strait over the weekend. The Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since February 28, following the initiation of a war by the US and Israel, leaving around 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The US has since imposed a naval blockade and seized an Iranian vessel trying to evade the operation. Tehran has proposed cryptocurrency tolls for vessels in exchange for safe transit, with fees likely to be paid in bitcoin. Marisks has assured that the messages are a scam and did not originate from official Iranian sources, warning shipowners to be cautious of such fraudulent messages.