TLDR
- MARISKS said unknown actors sent scam clearance messages to shipping companies.
- The messages demanded bitcoin or USDT for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf.
- MARISKS said at least one fired-on vessel may have been targeted by the scam.
- Reuters said Iran had no immediate comment on the MARISKS warning.
Shipping companies with vessels near the Strait of Hormuz are facing a new threat. MARISKS said unknown actors sent scam messages asking for bitcoin or USDT in return for clearance. The warning came as hundreds of ships remain stranded west of the waterway.
The Greek maritime risk firm said the messages falsely claimed to come from Iranian authorities. Reuters reported that the scammers offered safe passage through the strait after a crypto payment. MARISKS said the messages were fraudulent and not linked to Iranian officials.
Crypto demands target stranded shipping firms
MARISKS said some shipping companies received messages demanding transit fees in cryptocurrency. The senders asked for bitcoin or Tether, also known as USDT. They said payment would secure safe movement through the strait.
The security firm said the messages copied the language of official clearance requests. That may have made them seem more credible to some recipients. Still, MARISKS said the senders were unknown actors.
One message cited by MARISKS asked firms to send documents for review. It said Iranian security services would assess each vessel. Then it would set a fee in cryptocurrency before passage.
The message promised that payment would allow a vessel to cross “unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.” MARISKS said “these specific messages are a scam.” Reuters said it could not verify which firms received them.
Strait traffic remains blocked by conflict and checks
The warning came as shipping traffic stays disrupted in the Gulf. Reuters reported that hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded. The situation followed competing restrictions around the strait and nearby ports.
The United States has kept its blockade on Iranian ports. Iran also lifted and later reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, the route handled about one-fifth of global oil and LNG shipments.
Iran has also proposed tolls for safe transit during ceasefire talks. The Financial Times reported on April 8 that Tehran sought up to $2 million per tanker. The report said payment could include cryptocurrency.
Hamid Hosseini, from Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, told the Financial Times that the toll was about $1 per barrel. Reuters said Tehran gave no immediate comment on the MARISKS warning.
Gunfire incident adds to concern over fake clearances
MARISKS said the scam may already have affected at least one vessel. The firm linked the warning to an incident on April 18. That day, Iran briefly opened the strait with checks in place.
Ships tried to leave during that window, but at least two vessels came under fire. Reuters said one tanker and another ship reported shots from Iranian boats. The vessels then turned back.
MARISKS said one ship hit by gunfire may have been targeted by the fraud. Reuters said it could not confirm that claim on its own. Even so, the alert raised concern across the shipping market.
The case adds pressure on shipowners already dealing with delays and security risks. It also shows how bad actors may use conflict to seek crypto payments. MARISKS urged firms to treat such messages as fraudulent.
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