Industry on alert over scam messages offering ships “safe passage” on Hormuz

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Fraudulent messages offering safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been circulated to shipping companies with vessels stranded west of the waterway, according to MARISKS.

In an alert issued on 20 April, MARISKS cautioned that unknown actors posing as Iranian authorities had contacted shipping companies, demanding payment in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Tether in exchange for transit “clearance.”

According to the firm, the fraudulent message stated: “After providing the documents and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will be able to determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.”

MARISKS stressed that these messages are fraudulent and not issued by official Iranian entities.

According to Reuters, there has been no immediate response from Tehran. MARISKS noted that at least one vessel, reportedly fired upon while attempting to exit the strait on 18 April, may have been targeted as a result of the scam.

The scam comes against a backdrop of continued disruption in the region. The United States has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has intermittently imposed and lifted its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flowed prior to the outbreak of war in the Middle East.