Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, requesting crypto payments in exchange for unimpeded passage across the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one vessel reportedly falling victim to the scam. Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, has issued a warning after several shipping companies received messages from scammers impersonating 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 of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since February 28, leaving around 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The US has imposed a naval blockade, seizing one Iranian vessel that tried to evade the operation.
Recently, Tehran proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe transit, with the 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 after providing documents and undergoing 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.