Scammers Target Shipping Companies with Fake 'Safe Passage' Offers Through Hormuz

Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, asking for 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 impersonating Iranian authorities, requesting bitcoin or USDT payments. The company believes that at least one ship was targeted and came under fire while attempting to navigate the strait. The warning comes as shipping traffic through the strait remains largely blocked by Iran, following the initiation of a war in the region. With approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf, a US naval blockade has been imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, and one Iranian vessel has been seized. Tehran has proposed the introduction of cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe passage, with bitcoin being the likely payment method. Marisks has assured that the messages are scams and did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fake messages claim that upon providing documents and paying a cryptocurrency fee, vessels will be allowed to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.