Scammers Target Ships with False Promises of Safe Passage through Hormuz

Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, requesting crypto payments in exchange for unimpeded passage through 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 posing as Iranian authorities, asking for bitcoin or USDT. The firm believes that at least one ship was duped 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 by the US and Israel. Approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters are currently stranded in the Gulf. The US has since imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, seizing one Iranian vessel that attempted to evade the operation. Tehran has proposed the introduction of cryptocurrency tolls for vessels in exchange for safe transit, with fees likely to be paid in bitcoin. Marisks has assured shipowners that the messages are scams and do not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages claim that upon providing documents and eligibility assessment by the Iranian Security Services, a fee in cryptocurrency will be determined, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.