Scammers Are Posing as Iranian Authorities and Demanding Bitcoin From Ships Trying to Cross the Strait of Hormuz

[ed]

Greek maritime risk management firm Marisks has issued an urgent warning to vessel owners after scammers were caught sending fake messages impersonating Iranian authorities and demanding cryptocurrency payments in Bitcoin or Tether in exchange for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The fraudulent messages claim that after assessing a vessel's eligibility, Iranian Security Services will determine a fee payable in BTC or USDT, after which the ship will be allowed to transit the strait unimpeded at a pre-agreed time. The scam is particularly convincing because Iran has previously made legitimate cryptocurrency demands in maritime contexts, making the messages difficult to immediately dismiss. At least one vessel that apparently paid the fee was subsequently fired upon on April 18 and forced to turn back — on the same day that at least two ships were attacked while attempting to cross the Iranian-controlled waterway.

The scam is unfolding against a backdrop of genuine chaos in the strait, where news of ceasefires and shifting blockades has created deep uncertainty, and where Iran's infrastructure has been repeatedly struck by US and Israeli forces — raising real questions about communication reliability between Iranian military units. That confusion makes it nearly impossible for ship operators to distinguish a legitimate demand from a fraudulent one, and scammers are clearly exploiting that ambiguity. With vessels in the area typically carrying cargo worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the financial incentive for targeting them is enormous. Tehran has not commented on the situation, leaving it unclear whether some of the incidents reflect the scam, genuine military action, or miscommunication between units operating in a degraded command environment.

[mendez]

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