TL;DR:
The geopolitical chaos in the Strait of Hormuz opened a crack that criminals have been quick to exploit. Scammers impersonating Iranian authorities sent messages to shipping companies with vessels stranded west of the strait, demanding payments in Bitcoin or USDT in exchange for a supposed transit permit. Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS raised the alarm over the situation, as reported by Reuters, and confirmed that the messages do not originate from Iranian authorities.
The scheme works as follows: scammers send messages instructing recipients to submit documentation for review by the supposed Iranian security services before the cryptocurrency payment amount is determined. Once paid, the scammers promise an “unobstructed crossing at the previously agreed time,” according to the report. MARISKS also indicated that at least one vessel that attempted to leave the strait on April 18 and was fired upon by Iranian boats may have been a victim of this maneuver.
The underlying situation is equally serious. Hundreds of ships and approximately 20,000 sailors remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, caught between the blockade imposed by the United States on Iranian ports, in effect for approximately one week, and the closure of the strait by Iran, which was lifted and then reimposed. The passage concentrated around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the conflict in the Middle East disrupted traffic.
The scammers are exploiting a scheme that overlaps with a real proposal: according to The Financial Times, Tehran is studying charging up to two million dollars per tanker as a toll for safe transit, with cryptocurrency payments, including Bitcoin, accepted. Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Union of Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters, told the FT that the fee is around one dollar per barrel of oil.
Chainalysis senior intelligence analyst Kaitlin Martin warned that any cryptocurrency payment linked to Iran-controlled waterways could be treated as “material support”, with the potential to violate United States and international sanctions targeting entities such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump stated that he will not lift the blockade on Iranian ports until a deal is reached. The temporary ceasefire between both countries expires on April 23, and there is no certainty about a second round of negotiations in Pakistan.
