Crypto scam tricks ships into Strait of Hormuz with false safe passage
▼ Summary
– Crypto scammers are targeting ships stranded near the Strait of Hormuz, tricking them into paying bogus “transit fees” in bitcoin or tether.
– At least one ship that faced Iranian gunfire may have been deceived into believing it had paid Iran for safe passage.
– The scam was first flagged by Greek maritime risk firm MARISKS on April 20, warning shipowners of fake messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities.
– Iran has been demanding real cryptocurrency payments from oil tankers for passage through the strait, requiring ships to follow a route near its coastline for inspection.
– The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping channel through which Persian Gulf countries supply one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
Crypto scammers are exploiting the chaos near the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds of ships remain stranded,and at least one vessel that came under Iranian fire may have been deceived into thinking it had purchased safe passage with cryptocurrency.
The first alert about this deceptive crypto scheme emerged on April 20 from MARISKS, a Greek maritime risk management firm, as reported by Reuters. The company warned shipowners that fraudsters posing as Iranian officials had been sending messages to shipping companies demanding “transit fees” payable in bitcoin or tether.
This scam is especially dangerous because of the confusion surrounding Iran’s actual control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which Persian Gulf nations normally supply about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Iranian authorities have already demanded cryptocurrency tolls from oil tankers seeking passage and have required vessels to follow a route near Iran’s coastline for inspection.
The fraudulent messages exploit this real-world demand for crypto payments, tricking ships into believing they have secured safe passage. The result can be catastrophic: one ship that fell for the scam reportedly faced gunfire from Iranian forces after entering the waterway without legitimate authorization.
Shipping companies are now urged to verify any payment requests directly with official Iranian authorities and to remain vigilant against these increasingly sophisticated crypto scams targeting vessels in the region.
(Source: Ars Technica)
