Recently, ship owners and shipping companies who want to use the Strait of Hormuz have been faced with requests for cryptocurrency sent with fake identities. According to Reuters, these fake messages ask for bitcoin or USDT payment for the safe passage of ships. At least one ship reportedly believed the scam and was attacked last weekend while trying to pass through the strait.
Scammers impersonate authorities
The developments came to the fore with the warning of Greece-based maritime security consultancy company Marisks. The company announced that in fake messages sent to many maritime companies, people posing as Iranian officials claimed that they would provide safe passage when they received payment with cryptocurrency. This incident in the Bosphorus stood out as one of the new fraud methods encountered by ship owners in international waters.
Marisks emphasized in his warning that such messages do not come from official Iranian sources. The fake message shared by the company included the following statements:
After the evaluation by the Iranian Security Services, the amount you need to pay in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT) will be determined if you submit the eligibility documents. Only after this payment, your ship will be able to pass through the Bosphorus at the specified time without any problems.
Tension in the region is rising
This case of forgery emerged in the shadow of the recent tension in the Strait of Hormuz. Following the military operation launched by the USA and Israel last month, Iran has largely stopped passage through the strait since February 28. According to Reuters data, approximately 20 thousand oil tankers and cargo ships are waiting in the region.
Last week, US President Donald Trump launched a naval blockade in the strait. It was reported that during the operation, an Iranian ship trying to make illegal passage was also seized and detained.
No official statement from Iran
According to Reuters, on April 9, the Tehran administration announced that it planned to offer payment with cryptocurrency for passage through the Bosphorus. Hamid Hosseini, Spokesperson of the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters Association, announced that these payments are expected to be made mostly with bitcoin. However, there has been no official statement from Iran yet after Marisks’ warning was published.
It was learned that no official response has yet been received from the shipping companies regarding the issue.
“Such messages are completely fraudulent. They have nothing to do with the official Iranian authorities,” Marisks experts explained.
The incident shows that a cyber threat dimension has been added to the geopolitical risks in the region. Maritime industry officials remind us to be careful against such frauds.
