Shipping companies have been receiving fake messages asking for cryptocurrency payments in exchange for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one vessel reportedly falling victim to the scam. According to a report by Reuters, Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services firm, has issued a warning about the scam, stating that several shipping companies have been contacted by scammers posing as Iranian authorities, demanding bitcoin or USDT payments.
The firm believes that at least one ship has been targeted and was fired upon while attempting to pass through the strait. 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. The US has since imposed a naval blockade of the strait and seized an Iranian vessel trying to evade the operation. Iran had proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls on vessels in exchange for safe transit, with the fees likely to be charged in bitcoin.
Marisks has assured that the messages are a scam and did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages claim that after providing documents and assessing eligibility, a fee in cryptocurrency will be determined, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.