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Greek maritime risk management company MARISKS has issued a warning regarding scam messages sent to certain shipping companies, promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. These messages falsely claim to represent Iranian authorities and demand transit fees in Bitcoin or Tether for clearance. MARISKS emphasized that these communications are fraudulent and were not issued by Iranian officials, and Iran has yet to comment on the matter.
Currently, hundreds of vessels and approximately 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Gulf region. On April 18, Iran briefly reopened the strait for checks, but attempts to pass were thwarted when some ships reportedly faced gunfire from Iranian boats, which caused them to retreat. MARISKS believes at least one ship shot at during this incident may have fallen victim to the scam.
A suspicious message circulating among shipowners stated: “After providing the documents and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-arranged time.” This message has been flagged as a scam, and there’s no official confirmation from Tehran.
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