Marisks, a Greek Maritime Risk Management company, issued a warning to vessel owners that scammers are sending fake messages posing as Iranian authorities and demanding a “clearance fee” in the form of Bitcoin or Tether. According to Reuters, at least two vessels were fired upon on April 18 when they tried to cross the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz, with Marisks saying that at least one of them fell victim to this crypto scam.
“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),” the message that the scammers allegedly sent said, as Marisks shared. “Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.” However, at least one vessel that seemingly paid for the toll was subsequently fired upon and forced to turn back from its attempt to cross the blocked waterway. Marisks said that these messages are a scam, while Tehran hasn’t commented on the situation to Reuters at the time of writing.
The Strait of Hormuz is practically in chaos as news of ceasefires and the lifting and reinforcement of blockades comes and goes. Aside from this, Iran’s infrastructure has continually been pounded by the U.S. and Israel, so the reliability of communications between Iranian military units is uncertain. So, it’s unclear whether the confusion was the result of the crypto scam or a miscommunication between far-flung units.
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Nevertheless, it seems that crypto scammers are taking advantage of the situation to make bank, especially given that ships like these typically carry cargo worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But because Iran has previously demanded that cryptocurrency be used, the scammers’ message was convincing.
Scammers have been taking advantage of the relative novelty of crypto to victimize people and organizations. Even though crypto transactions are publicly tracked on a transparent ledger, they’re relatively easy to launder through mixers, exchange arbitrage, and many other methods that criminals use to mask the source of their funds. For example, Americans lost $333 million to Bitcoin ATM fraud in 2025, with the victims having a median age of 71.
While ship owners and operators are likely familiar with threats like this, they’re also likely keen on getting their multi-billion-dollar assets away from the area, making them easier targets for scammers who can impersonate Iranian authorities.
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