Taking advantage of the chaos! A cryptocurrency toll scam has been spotted in the Hormuz Strait, with ships already falling for it and being shot at.

Amidst turmoil in the Middle East, scam groups impersonate Iranian authorities, selling “security passes” to shipping companies stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

The tense situation in the Middle East has led to new types of scams. According to Reuters, due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and numerous ships being stranded, scammers are impersonating Iranian officials, claiming that paying with cryptocurrency will grant a “security pass.”

Greek maritime risk service company MARISKS issued a warning that multiple shipping operators have received scam messages demanding payment in Bitcoin or USDT as a “toll fee.”

The report states that at least one vessel has fallen into the trap, believing it had obtained “passage rights” and attempting to enter the strait, only to be shot at on the spot, becoming an innocent victim of this geopolitical crisis.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched military actions against Iran on February 28, Iran has blocked shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reports that approximately 20k oil tankers and other ships are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf.

However, the key reason why shipowners are desperate and unable to distinguish truth from falsehood is that Iran previously had similar ideas. As early as April 9, Tehran officials announced plans to collect tolls using cryptocurrency. Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Exporters Union, publicly stated that this “toll” was likely to be collected in Bitcoin.

Nevertheless, U.S. President Donald Trump, aiming to cut off funding for Iran’s government and military actions, ordered the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz a week ago and has already seized an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the blockade.

To prevent more shipping companies from falling victim, MARISKS also revealed the scammers’ phishing tactics:

After you submit your documents and they are evaluated by Iranian security authorities, we will determine the specific amount you must pay in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Once the payment is completed, your ship will be allowed to pass through the strait at the pre-arranged time.

MARISKS emphasizes that these messages are complete scams and are not issued by the Iranian government.

• This article is reprinted with permission from: “BlockBeats”
• Original title: “Preying on chaos! Scam of ‘cryptocurrency toll’ appears in the Strait of Hormuz, ships have fallen for it and been shot at”
• Original author: Block Sister MEL