As hundreds of vessels remain trapped in the Gulf, scammers have found a new opportunity — targeting desperate shipowners with fraudulent offers of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency payments, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing security firm MARISKS.
Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS issued an alert on Monday warning shipowners that unknown actors, claiming to represent Iranian authorities, had sent some shipping companies a message demanding transit fees in cryptocurrencies — Bitcoin or Tether — for "clearance" through the strait, the report said.
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The firm was unequivocal in its assessment. "These specific messages are a scam," MARISKS said, adding that the messages were not sent by Iranian authorities. Meanwhile, there was no immediate comment from Tehran. Hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers, reportedly, remain stranded in the Gulf, providing fertile ground for opportunistic fraud.
The scam exploits an extraordinarily fraught geopolitical situation. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran under 'Operation Epic Fury', targeting military facilities, nuclear sites, and leadership.
The closure of the chokepoint has sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Before the war broke out, roughly 20% of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20% of its liquefied natural gas passed through the strait, with tanker traffic subsequently dropping by around 70%.
The situation has been volatile and rapidly shifting. On Friday, Iran announced that commercial passage through Hormuz was fully open during a truce. However, President Trump clarified that the US naval blockade on vessels departing from or docking at Iranian ports would remain in effect, prompting Iran to cancel the reopening and close the strait again on Saturday.
Amid the ongoing ceasefire talks, Tehran, which controls the chokepoint, has separately proposed official tolls on vessels for safe transit — a development that the fraudsters, reportedly, appear to be mimicking to make their scheme more credible. Shipping companies have been, reportedly, urged to verify any such communications through official channels before making any payments.
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