Scammers Target Ships with False Promises of Safe Passage through Hormuz

A recent wave of scams has hit shipowners, with fraudsters asking for cryptocurrency payments in exchange for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports from Reuters, at least one vessel may have fallen victim to this scam. Marisks, a Greek 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 one ship was indeed a victim of this scam and was fired upon while attempting to navigate the strait over the weekend. The Strait of Hormuz has seen significant disruptions in shipping traffic due to the blockade imposed by Iran since February 28, following the initiation of a war by the U.S. and Israel. Approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters are currently stranded in the Gulf. The situation escalated with the U.S. naval blockade of the strait and the seizure of an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the operation. In response, Tehran proposed the introduction of cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe transit, with bitcoin being the likely currency for these transactions. Marisks has explicitly stated that these messages are scams and do not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages, as cited by Marisks, assure vessel owners that upon providing the necessary documents and payment in cryptocurrency, their vessels will be allowed to pass through the strait without impediment at a pre-agreed time.