Fraudulent messages purporting to offer vessels safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency payments are circulating among shipping companies, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned. The scam messages, sent by unknown actors claiming to represent Iranian authorities, demand transit fees in Bitcoin or Tether — a stablecoin cryptocurrency — as payment for "clearance" to pass through the strategically vital waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the world's most critical maritime passages, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before conflict erupted in the Middle East at the end of February. Iran controls the northern shore of the strait and has repeatedly opened and closed it since the war began. Hundreds of ships and approximately 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf, caught between a US blockade of Iranian ports and Iran's own intermittent closure of the waterway.
In its April 20 alert, MARISKS quoted the fraudulent message as instructing recipients: "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." The firm said it believes that at least one vessel that attempted to exit the strait on April 18 — when Iran briefly allowed passage subject to checks — and was subsequently fired upon by Iranian boats, had been a victim of the fraud. There was no immediate comment from Tehran, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the information.
The warning emerges against a tense diplomatic backdrop. Iran has proposed formal tolls on vessels as part of ceasefire discussions, lending the scam a veneer of plausibility. Singapore, a major maritime hub with 29 of its registered vessels trapped in the strait, has taken a firm public stance against any negotiation over passage rights. Speaking at Singapore Maritime Week on April 21, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the right of transit passage is guaranteed under UNCLOS — the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — and is therefore non-negotiable. "We cannot negotiate with Iran because the right of transit passage is a matter of right," he said, adding that entering into any agreement would effectively make an unconditional right conditional.
The combination of a genuine humanitarian crisis, the prospect of formal toll arrangements, and the urgency felt by stranded operators has created fertile ground for exploitation. Shipping companies are urged to verify any communications claiming to originate from Iranian authorities through established official channels before taking any action or making any payment.