Hormuz Strait: Fake Iranian Officials Request Cryptocurrencies from Transiting Ships—It's a Scam
Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Hormuz Strait in exchange for cryptocurrencies are circulating among shipping companies whose vessels are stuck west of the strait. The alarm was raised by MARISKS, a Greek maritime risk management company, with a warning issued on Monday, April 21: the messages pose as official communications from Iranian authorities and are a scam.
How the Scam Works
The incriminating message asks ship owners to provide documentation and wait for a "suitability assessment" from the Iranian Security Services, after which the fee to be paid in Bitcoin (BTC) or Tether (USDT) would be communicated. Only after payment is made will the ship obtain "uninterrupted" passage through the strait at an agreed-upon time. MARISKS has definitively ruled out that the message comes from Tehran: according to what was reported to Reuters, there was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities.
The timing of the scam is not coincidental. For weeks, hundreds of ships and about 20,000 sailors have been trapped in the Persian Gulf, victims of a cross blockade: the United States maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran has imposed restrictions on passage through the strait, already a theater of increasing tensions. In this climate of operational uncertainty, shipping companies are particularly exposed to fraud attempts exploiting the ambiguity of reopening announcements for routes.
The Ship Hit by Gunfire
MARISKS believes that at least one of the vessels that attempted to force passage on Saturday, April 19, and was shot at, fell victim to the scam. In other words, the fraud not only involves an economic loss in cryptocurrencies: it can lead shipowners to authorize maneuvers in dangerous waters, with potentially lethal consequences for crews and cargo. Reuters was unable to independently verify the information or identify the companies that had received the fraudulent message.
The operational backdrop remains complicated. According to a senior Iranian official interviewed by Reuters on April 17, all ships can transit the strait but must coordinate with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization. Transits would only be permitted on routes that Tehran considers safe, with military vessels excluded. The IMO, through Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, has confirmed that it is working to verify the compliance of these provisions with the principles of freedom of navigation. For a deeper understanding of the more or less fraudulent payments triggered by the closure of the strait, please refer to this in-depth analysis on cryptocurrency payment procedures to obtain clearance for transit through the Strait.
The Profile of MARISKS
Founded in 2020 in Athens, MARISKS Maritime Risk Services operates in key high-risk maritime areas: West Africa, the Indian Ocean, and Southeast Asia. The company is composed of professionals from sectors such as private maritime security, military operations, and finance. This is not the first time MARISKS has issued alerts in maritime geopolitical crisis scenarios; in recent weeks, the organization has intensified its monitoring of routes in the Persian Gulf, providing real-time risk assessments for shipowners, operators, and charterers.