Scammers Impersonate Iranian Authorities to Offer 'Safe Passage' Through Hormuz in Exchange for Cryptocurrency

Shipowners have been receiving fake messages asking for cryptocurrency payments in order to securely cross the Strait of Hormuz, with reports suggesting that at least one vessel may have been deceived. According to Reuters, Marisks, a maritime risk services company based in Greece, issued an alert after several shipping companies received messages from scammers pretending to be Iranian authorities, requesting bitcoin or USDT payments. The firm believes that at least one ship was a victim of the scam and was fired upon while attempting to pass through the strait. The blockade of the strait by Iran, which began on February 28, has resulted in approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters being stranded in the Gulf. The U.S. and Israel initiated a war against Iran, prompting a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has since seized an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the operation. Tehran proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels in exchange for safe transit on April 9, with the spokesperson for Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union suggesting that the crypto fees would likely be paid in bitcoin. Marisks released its alert on Monday, stating that the messages did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fake message, as cited by Marisks, read: 'After providing the documents and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will be able to determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.'