Unknown actors have sent fraudulent messages to shipping companies whose vessels remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a warning from Greek maritime risk firm MARISKS cited by Reuters.
Summary
- MARISKS warned that scammers demanded bitcoin or USDT from shipping firms seeking passage near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Fraud messages promised safe transit as hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers remained stranded there.
- The scam emerged as ceasefire uncertainty, port blockades, and vessel attacks kept maritime risks elevated.
The messages reportedly ask for bitcoin or USDT in exchange for “clearance” through the waterway. MARISKS said the senders appeared to pose as Iranian authorities.
In one message, the sender told shipping firms to submit vessel documents for review by Iranian security services before a transit fee would be set in crypto. The message said payment would allow the ship to pass “unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.”
The scam emerged while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained under pressure from competing restrictions. The United States has kept a blockade on Iranian ports in place for about a week, while Iran had lifted and later restored its own closure of the strait.
The waterway had handled about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the latest Middle East conflict disrupted flows. Hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf, according to the report. The continued disruption has left shipping firms exposed to false offers of passage.
MARISKS said at least one vessel that tried to leave the strait on April 18 and came under gunfire from Iranian boats may have been affected by the fraud. The firm did not say whether payment had been made, but it raised concern that the ship may have responded to the false outreach before the attack.
The report added that the scam follows Iran’s proposal to charge vessels for safe transit through the strait during ceasefire talks. The Financial Times reported on April 8 that Tehran sought as much as $2 million per tanker in fees, with payments allowed in cryptocurrency, including bitcoin.
Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, told the FT the toll stands at about “$1 per barrel of oil.”
Ceasefire deadline keeps shipping risks in focus
The warning also came as diplomacy remained uncertain. BBC reported that U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would not lift its blockade on Iranian ports until a deal is reached with Iran.
The current U.S.-Iran ceasefire is due to expire on April 23. It remains unclear whether a second round of peace talks in Pakistan will go ahead, leaving shipping companies to manage continued security and fraud risks in the area.