A recent wave of scams is targeting shipowners stuck in the Hormuz blockade, with fraudsters posing as Iranian authorities and demanding bitcoin or USDT payments in exchange for 'safe passage'. According to reports, at least one vessel may have fallen victim to this scam, resulting in it being fired upon while attempting to navigate the strait. Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, has issued a warning about these scams, stating that several shipping companies have received fraudulent messages asking for crypto payments.
The situation is exacerbated by the ongoing blockade of the strait, which has been largely closed by Iran since late February, leaving around 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The US has initiated a naval blockade of the strait and has seized an Iranian vessel attempting to evade it. In response, Tehran has proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe transit, with fees likely to be paid in bitcoin. Marisks has assured shipowners that these messages are scams and did not originate from official Iranian sources.
The fraudulent messages typically ask shipowners to provide documents and pay a fee in cryptocurrency, promising unimpeded transit through the strait at a pre-agreed time.