Fake Hormuz clearance offers have left ships stranded on the western side of the strait, hurting shipping companies. Greek risk firm MARIKS warned on Monday that an unknown attacker has sent messages promising safe passage through Hormuz if you pay a fee in Bitcoin or Tether.
Although the message claimed to be from Iranian authorities, MARIKS said this was not the case. As you may know, the United States continues to blockade Iranian ports, while Iran lifted and then reimposed a blockade of Hormuz, the sea lane that transported about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before Trump and Israel began their illegal war of choice.
During ceasefire negotiations, Tehran also proposed imposing tolls on ships seeking safe passage. Hundreds of ships and around 20,000 sailors remain stranded in the Gulf.
Scammers pursue stranded ship owners with fake crypto fee offers
Mariskus said the fake message instructs the companies to first send documents, and Iranian security services will inspect the vessels and set fees to be paid in 2019. $BTC or $USDT.
The message said that only after payment, the ship could pass through the strait at the set time without any interference.
“After submitting the documents and the Iranian Security Service assesses your eligibility, we can determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrencies ($BTC or $USDT). Only then will your ship be able to pass through the strait unhindered at a pre-agreed time. ”
Mariskus said at least one vessel may have been defrauded, and believes one ship that came under fire as it left the strait on Saturday was likely the casualty. Reuters said it could not verify the claims or identify the companies that received the messages.
On April 18, Cryptopolitan reported that Iran had temporarily reopened the strait with only a check. And at least two ships, including a tanker, allegedly later reported that Iranian boats opened fire and forced them to turn back.
Iran attacks ship in Hormuz, sparking protests in India
Ship traffic through Hormuz briefly picked up over the weekend, but then slowed again, with at least 20 ships passing through the strait on Saturday, including oil tankers, dry bulkers and container ships, according to LSEG data.
One of the vessels was the tanker FPMC C Road, which was carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil destined for Taiwan. By Sunday, traffic was nearly frozen. Oil prices rose about 6% on Monday, but traffic remained low. At least seven ships used this route that day.
Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations Center said on Saturday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards opened fire on a tanker and that an unknown projectile hit a container ship. The ship was clearly Indian.
New Delhi has told Iran it is deeply concerned after attacks on two Indian-flagged ships in the strait. On Sunday, the U.S. Navy shelled an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, and Marines took control of the ship.
President Trump said the ship was trying to break the U.S. naval blockade against Iran. Washington also moved to impose oil sanctions. On Friday, the Trump administration renewed a one-month exemption for Russian offshore oil. Two days earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the exemption would not be renewed.
A similar one-month exemption that allowed Iran to export crude oil and products expired on Sunday. Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India, a major buyer of Russian crude oil, has added three more Russian insurance companies for marine insurance.
This brings the total number of Russian companies recognized by India to 11, but these companies are outside the International P&I Club Group, which provides liability cover for most tanker injury and cleanup claims.
Regarding the truth, President Trump said, “Operation Midnight Hammer completely and completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear dust site. So digging it out will be a long and difficult process. Fake news CNN and other corrupt media networks and platforms are not giving our great aviators the credit they deserve.”
