Crypto scammers are targeting the thousands of ships stranded near the Strait of Hormuz, and at least one ship that faced Iranian gunfire may have been tricked into believing it had paid Iran for safe passage.
The first warning of such a crypto scam came from Greek maritime risk management company MARISKS on April 20, according to Reuters. The company alerted shipowners that scammers posing as Iranian authorities had sent messages to shipping companies requesting “transit fee” payments in bitcoin or tether.
This may be particularly confusing for shipping companies because of the way Iran has asserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel and maritime chokepoint that normally allows Persian Gulf countries to provide a fifth of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas. The Iranian authorities have demanded cryptocurrency payments allowed oil tankers to pass through the waterway and required ships to follow a route near the coast of Iran to undergo inspection.
MARISKS identified a ship as potentially a victim of crypto scams after it attempted to pass through the strait on April 18, although Reuters could not confirm that information. The incident allegedly occurred during a brief period in which Iran claimed it was allowing ships undergoing inspection to pass, but the ship in question turned around after Iranian military forces fired on it. There are around 2,000 ships and 20,000 sailors still stranded near the strait.
That ship may not be the only one to fall for a crypto scam while seeking safe passage. On April 22, the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Epaminondasowned by Greek company Technomar Shipping and operated by global shipping company MSC, was attacked after allegedly receiving permission to cross the strait, and authorities are checking whether the message purporting to grant safe passage “may have been fraudulent,” according to Ekathimerini.
