Report: Scammers Are Offering Ships Safe Hormuz Passage for Crypto Payments
As the Strait of Hormuz opens and closes along with the political winds, a new warning is going out to ships to be cautious of emails offering safe passage in exchange for crypto payments. Although Iranian officials had outlined the payment plan, Greek security consultancy Marisks warned yesterday, April 20, that scammers are getting in on the act.
In a safety briefing seen by Reuters, Marisks reports it has reviewed emails being sent out offering safe passage in exchange for the payments. It says that the messages it reviewed were scams and were definitely not coming from Iranian authorities.
Iran had proposed the payment scheme in March, with reports that it was demanding up to $2 million paid either in cryptocurrency or the Chinese Yuan. Bloomberg reported the process, saying ships had to apply for permission and would be subjected to a safety check.
The actual price for passage, they said, was on a sliding scale with favored nationalities receiving the best terms. After making the payment, the ships were being given, in effect, a PIN to transmit when they reached a position near Larak Island. Ships were also reportedly being given a specific time to start their passage.
Iranian media quoted a member of parliament saying, “Now, because war has costs, naturally we must do this and take transit fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.” Iran said it also confirmed its “authority” over the Strait.
It is unclear how many ships have actually made the payments. Countries such as India have asserted they were not making the payments, although their ships have been permitted to exit the Persian Gulf. Some of the ships are traveling to the Iranian side of the Strait and obeying the new route spelled out by Iran, while others have hugged the coast of Oman.
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Marisks reported that at least one ship has fallen for the fake emails. According to Reuters, the vessel attempted to approach the Strait for exit on Saturday after transmitting its payment. Iranian gunboats, however, fired on the ship and told it that it did not have permission for the passage. As of Sunday, Iran has again asserted the Strait is entirely closed, although tracking shows a small number of ships have continued to transit. More are thought to be making the passage “dark” to evade the Iranians.
The status of the Strait of Hormuz is seen as one of the biggest stumbling blocks to resolving the conflict. Iran wants to retain control as it is one of its few remaining levers against the West. Donald Trump has alternated between demanding free passage for all and proposing that he, along with the Iranians, might ultimately control the Strait and set the fees.