A recent surge in fraudulent messages has been reported, with scammers asking shipowners for bitcoin or USDT payments in exchange for unhindered passage through the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, at least one ship may have fallen victim to this scam. Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, issued a warning after several shipping companies received messages from scammers impersonating Iranian authorities.
The firm believes that one ship was fired upon while attempting to pass through 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 U.S. has initiated a naval blockade of the strait and seized an Iranian vessel trying to evade the operation.
Iran had proposed crypto tolls on vessels in exchange for safe transit, with fees likely to be charged in bitcoin. However, Marisks has assured that the messages demanding cryptocurrency payments are scams and did not originate from official Iranian sources. The fraudulent messages claim that after providing documents and assessing eligibility, the Iranian Security Services will determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency, allowing the vessel to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time.