Scammers Target Shipowners with Fake 'Safe Passage' Offers Through Strait of Hormuz

Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, asking for cryptocurrency payments in exchange for supposedly secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz, with reports suggesting that at least one vessel may have fallen victim to the scam. According to Reuters, Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, has issued a warning about these scams, which involve messages from individuals claiming to be Iranian authorities and requesting bitcoin or USDT payments. The firm believes that at least one ship was duped and came under fire while attempting to navigate the strait over the weekend. The strait has been largely blocked by Iran since late February, leaving around 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The U.S. has initiated a naval blockade of the strait and seized an Iranian vessel trying to evade it. Recently, Tehran proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe passage, 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 fake messages claim that upon providing documents and being assessed by the Iranian Security Services, a fee in cryptocurrency will be determined, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded.