Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, requesting crypto payments in exchange for unobstructed passage across the Strait of Hormuz, with reports suggesting at least one vessel may have fallen victim to the scam. Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services firm, has issued a warning after several shipping companies received messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities, asking for bitcoin or USDT. The company believes that at least one ship was duped 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, leaving approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The US has imposed a naval blockade on the strait and seized an Iranian vessel attempting 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 that the messages are scams and did 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.