A growing number of shipowners are being targeted by scammers offering fake 'safe passage' through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. According to reports, at least one vessel may have fallen victim to the scam. Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, has issued a warning about the fraudulent messages, which claim to be from Iranian authorities and request payment in bitcoin or USDT in exchange for unhindered passage. The scam comes amid a blockade of the strait by Iran, which has stranded approximately 20,000 oil tankers and freighters in the Gulf.
The situation has been exacerbated by a US-led naval blockade and the seizure of an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the operation. In response to the crisis, Tehran recently proposed introducing cryptocurrency tolls for vessels seeking safe transit. However, Marisks has stressed that the messages are a scam and do not originate from official Iranian sources.
The fraudulent messages typically state that after providing documents and undergoing assessment by the Iranian Security Services, a fee will be determined and paid in cryptocurrency, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.