Crypto scammers offer ‘safe passage’ through Hormuz. At least one ship may have been conned.

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Crypto scammers offer ‘safe passage’ through Hormuz. At least one ship may have been conned. Marisks, a maritime risk company, alerted ships stranded by the Hormuz blockade to scammers posing as Iranian authorities asking for bitcoin or USDT. By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Sheldon Reback Apr 21, 2026, 10:31 a.m. Make preferred on At least one ship owners may have fallen victim of crypto scammers asking for fees in exchange for "safe" passage through the Strait of Hormuz. (Venti Views/Unsplash) What to know : Shipowners are receiving fraudulent messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities and demanding bitcoin or USDT payments for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Greek risk management firm Marisks. Marisks said it believes at least one vessel fell victim to the scam and was fired on while attempting to transit the strait, which has been largely blocked by Iran since late February amid a U.S.- and Israel-led war. The scam follows Tehran's proposal to charge official crypto tolls for safe transit. Marisks stressed that the messages it flagged did not come from legitimate Iranian sources. Shipowners are receiving fraudulent messages asking for crypto payments in exchange for safe passage across the Strait of Hormuz, and at least one may have been taken in, Reuters reported Tuesday . Marisks, a Greek maritime risk services company, issued a warning saying several shipping companies had received messages from scammers posing as Iranian authorities and asking for bitcoin or USDT. The firm said it believed at least one ship fell victim to the scam and was fired upon while trying to pass through the strait over the weekend, Reuters said. Shipping traffic through the strait has largely been blocked by Iran since Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel initiated a war on the Middle East country. According to Reuters, there are roughly 20,000 oil tankers and other freighters stranded in the Gulf. A week ago, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and has since seized one Iranian vessel trying to evade the operation. On April 9, Tehran, ⁠which controls the chokepoint, proposed crypto tolls on vessels in exchange for safe transit. Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, said the crypto fees would likely be charged in bitcoin. Marisks issued its alert on Monday. Iran has not made any comment, Reuters added. "These specific messages are a scam," Marisks said, assuring the messages did not come from official Iranian sources. "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," said the fraudulent message cited ​by Marisks, according to Reuters. The shipping company did not immediately respond to a CoinDesk request for comment. Bitcoin News Iran Crime More For You KelpDAO hackers are laundering millions in stolen crypto, data show By Oliver Knight | Edited by Omkar Godbole 1 hour ago KelpDAO hackers are moving $290M in stolen crypto across blockchains, using privacy tools to mask the trail as DeFi contagion fears move through the sector. What to know : Hackers are laundering $290 million in stolen crypto by moving large sums across the Ethereum and Bitcoin blockchains. Blockchain investigators have tracked the funds through privacy tools and cross-chain bridges often favored by state-sponsored groups. The breach has triggered widespread liquidations across the decentralized finance sector amid fears that the... Read full story Latest Crypto News Bank of Korea’s new governor signals CBDC and bank token push, skips stablecoins in key address 22 minutes ago Strategy overtakes BlackRock IBIT in bitcoin holdings after bear market buying 52 minutes ago Bitcoin is less volatile than South Korea's stock market right now 1 hour ago KelpDAO hackers are laundering millions in stolen crypto, data show 1 hour ago A dozen banks want a euro stablecoin. Fireblocks is making it happen 2 hours ago Arbitrum freezes $71 million in ether tied to Kelp DAO exploit 4 hours ago Top Stories Bitcoin reclaims $75,000 as Iran ceasefire talks advance, equities rally resumes 4 hours ago North Korea’s crypto heist playbook is expanding and DeFi keeps getting hit 13 hours ago Aave could face up to $230 million in losses after Kelp DAO bridge exploit triggers DeFi chaos 13 hours ago Kelp DAO claims LayerZero’s 'default' settings are what actually caused the massive $290 million disaster 19 hours ago Ripple wants the XRP Ledger to be quantum-proof by 2028. Here is its plan 4 hours ago Coinbase, Bybit said to be working together on tokenization, custody and distribution of U.S. stocks 20 hours ago