Deceptive Crypto Scam Targets Ships in Hormuz Strait, One Vessel Possibly Duped

Reports have emerged of shipowners receiving fake messages asking for cryptocurrency payments in exchange for secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one vessel potentially falling victim to the scam, according to Reuters. Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, has issued a warning after several shipping companies received messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities, requesting bitcoin or USDT payments. The company believes that at least one ship was targeted by the scam and came under fire while attempting to navigate the strait over the weekend. The Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since February 28, following the initiation of a war by the US and Israel, resulting in approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters being stranded in the Gulf. In response, US President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the strait and seized an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the operation. Previously, Tehran proposed the introduction of cryptocurrency tolls for vessels in exchange for safe passage, with the fees likely to be paid in bitcoin. Marisks released its alert on Monday, stating that the messages did not originate from official Iranian sources and were, in fact, scams. The fake messages claimed that upon providing the necessary documents and eligibility assessment by the Iranian Security Services, a fee in cryptocurrency would be determined, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.