РУССКИЙ
11:41 24.04.2026 •
A map showing the Strait of Hormuz
Pic.: Reuters
Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned.
MARISKS on Monday issued an alert warning shipowners that unknown actors, claiming to represent Iranian authorities, had sent some shipping companies a message demanding transit fees in cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin or Tether, for “clearance”.
"These specific messages are a scam," the firm said, adding the message was not sent by Iranian authorities.
Hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf.
MARISKS said that it believed that at least one of the vessels, which tried to exit the strait on Saturday and was hit by gunfire, was a victim of the fraud.
Reuters was not able to verify the information or track companies that had received the message.
"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 message cited by MARISKS.
The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before war broke out in the Middle East.
Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran, which controls the chokepoint, has proposed tolls on vessels to safely transit.
Japan’s MOL: Iran war to impact shipping long after it ends
Meanwhile the head of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. says the impact of the Middle East conflict on the shipping industry and global supply chains will linger long after the war ends. Therefore, global shipping companies are hoping for a speedy opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
“It’s a bit naive to say that, after this has ended, that things will go back to pre-war situations,” Jotaro Tamura, president and chief executive officer of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., said in an interview in Singapore. “We will not go back to the world where we used to.”
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli war on Iran erupted at the end of February triggered the oil market’s worst-ever supply disruption, while also wreaking havoc on flows of aluminum and other shipments in and out of the Persian Gulf region.
In recent weeks, major economies in Asia, including Japan, have been turning away from the Middle East to other markets that export energy.
MOL, as the Tokyo-based owner of 211 tankers and hundreds of other types of vessels is known, currently has ships trapped inside the Persian Gulf. While it’s seeking to get the vessels out, the company has focused mostly on ensuring that crews have the support they need, with ample supply of food and freshwater, said Tamura.
Meanwhile, the closure of the Strait provides an opportunity for fraudsters to manipulate...
read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs
