Scammers Target Ships Stranded by Hormuz Blockade with Fake Crypto Payment Offers

A recent wave of scams is targeting shipowners stuck in the Hormuz blockade, with fraudsters asking for cryptocurrency payments in exchange for supposedly secure passage. According to reports from Reuters, at least one vessel may have fallen prey to this scam. Marisks, a company specializing in maritime risk, has issued a warning about these fake messages, which claim to be from Iranian authorities and demand bitcoin or USDT payments. The firm believes that one ship was indeed duped and came under fire while attempting to navigate the strait. The scam messages assure recipients that upon providing the necessary documents and paying the cryptocurrency fee, their vessel will be allowed to pass through the strait unobstructed. This comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked by Iran, with around 20,000 oil tankers and freighters stranded in the Gulf. The US and Israel initiated a war against Iran, prompting the blockade, and the US has since seized an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the operation. In response to the situation, Tehran proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe transit, with fees likely to be paid in bitcoin. Marisks has confirmed that these messages are scams and do not originate from official Iranian sources.