Scammers Target Ships with Fake 'Safe Passage' Offers Through Hormuz

Fraudulent messages are being sent to shipowners, asking for crypto payments in exchange for secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with reports suggesting at least one vessel has fallen victim to the scam. According to Reuters, Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, has issued a warning after several shipping companies received messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities, requesting bitcoin or USDT payments. The firm believes that at least one ship was tricked and came under fire while attempting to navigate the strait over the weekend. The blockade of the strait by Iran, which began on February 28, has resulted in approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters being stranded in the Gulf. The US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, ordered by President Donald Trump, has further complicated the situation, with one Iranian vessel seized for attempting to evade the operation. Recently, Tehran proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe passage, with bitcoin being the likely payment method. Marisks has assured that the messages are a scam and did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages claim that upon providing documents and 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.