Scam messages offering ships safe transit through Hormuz, security firm warns

Ships and boats successful the Strait of Hormuz disconnected the seashore of Musandam, Oman, connected April 20, 2026. [Reuters]

Fraudulent messages promising harmless transition done the Strait of Hormuz successful speech for cryptocurrency person been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime hazard absorption steadfast MARISKS has warned.

The US has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, done which astir ⁠a 5th of the world’s ⁠oil and liquefied earthy state passed earlier war broke retired successful the Middle East.

Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran, which controls the chokepoint, has projected tolls ​on vessels to safely transit.

MARISKS ⁠on Monday issued an alert warning shipowners that unknown actors, claiming to correspond Iranian authorities, had sent some shipping ⁠companies a connection demanding transit ‌fees successful cryptocurrencies, ⁠Bitcoin oregon Tether, for “clearance”.

“These specific messages are a scam,” the steadfast said, adding the connection was not sent by Iranian authorities.
There was ​no contiguous remark from Tehran.

Hundreds of ships and astir 20,000 ‌seafarers stay stranded successful the Gulf.

On April 18, when Iran concisely opened the strait subject to checks, ships tried to walk but astatine slightest two of them, including a ​tanker, reported that Iranian boats had fired shots astatine them, forcing the vessels to turn around.
MARISKS said that it believed that astatine slightest 1 of the vessels, ‌which tried ​to exit the strait connected Saturday and was deed by gunfire, was a victim of the fraud.

Reuters was not ⁠able to verify the accusation oregon ‌track companies that had received the message.

“After providing the documents and assessing ​your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will beryllium capable to find the ‌fee ⁠to beryllium ⁠paid successful cryptocurrency (BTC oregon USDT). Only then will ​your vessel beryllium capable to transit the strait unimpeded astatine the pre-agreed ​time,” said the connection cited by MARISKS.

[Reuters]