Scammers impersonating Iranian authorities demanding Bitcoin or USDT as "toll fees," with ships being scammed into paying and still being attacked afterward

CryptoWorld News reported that on April 22, scammers impersonated Iranian authorities, demanding cryptocurrency payment in exchange for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and that at least one vessel may have been deceived. The Greek maritime risk services company Marisks issued a warning, saying that multiple shipping companies have received scam messages impersonating Iranian officials and requesting payment in Bitcoin or USDT. The company believes that at least one ship fell victim to the scam over the weekend and was fired upon while attempting to pass through the strait. Marisks said, “These specific messages are scams,” and confirmed that the relevant information was not from official Iranian sources.

Marisks’ published scam message says: “After submitting documents and having your qualifications assessed by the Iranian security department, we will determine the fee that must be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). At that time, your ship may pass through the strait freely at the scheduled time.”

Since the U.S. and Israel launched war against Iran on February 28, passage through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially been blocked by Iran, with about 20,000 oil tankers and other cargo ships stranded in the Gulf. A week ago, U.S. President Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and since then an Iranian ship trying to evade the action has been seized. On April 9, the Iranian side that controls this chokepoint proposed charging ships a crypto toll in exchange for safe passage. A spokesperson for the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters Union, Hamid Hosseini, said the crypto fee could be settled in Bitcoin. The Iranian side has not yet commented on Marisks’ warning.