Scammers are allegedly offering false promises of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency — and at least one vessel believed to have fallen victim to the scam was fired upon by Iran, Reuters reported Tuesday.
The allegedly fraudulent messages were received by vessels on the west side of the strait, and the Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned shipping companies to ignore the messages, Reuters reported. (RELATED: Trump Says He ‘Expects To Be Bombing’ Iran If No Deal Is Reached)
“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),” the fraudulent message stated, according to MARISKS. “Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.”
Throughout threats and negotiations, the U.S. has kept its blockade of Iranian ports while Iran has reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — a choke point through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquid natural gas passes, according to Reuters.
The enforcement of these blockades has left hundreds of ships and approximately 20,000 people stranded within the Gulf, Reuters reported.
Iran has reportedly proposed the use of tolls on vessels in exchange for safe passage.
On Saturday, ships attempted to pass through the strait but at least two claimed Iranian boats had fired at them, Reuters reported. MARISKS suggested that at least one of those vessels had fallen victim to the crypto scheme.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center claimed two Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats opened fire on a tanker leaving the strait, according to the Associated Press (AP). The center did not identify the vessel or its destination but said the crew and tanker were safe.
Vessels, including an Indian-flagged supertanker, were forced to turn around after taking fire from Iranian forces, the AP reported, citing TankerTrackers.com.
It is unclear which vessel fell victim to the alleged scam.
“These specific messages are a scam,” MARISKS said after sending warnings to shipowners Monday, Reuters reported.
The firm added that these messages had not been sent by Iranian authorities. Tehran has not responded to the Daily Caller’s request for confirmation as of publication.
The transmitters of the messages are still unknown, and Reuters has not been able to verify the story or track which companies were recipients of these messages.