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.

Tensions in the Middle East remain volatile, and scam groups have posed as Iranian authorities to pitch the cryptocurrency “Security Pass” to shipping companies stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.

With tensions in the Middle East far from easing, new types of scams have emerged as a spillover effect. According to a report by Reuters, because the Strait of Hormuz (Strait of Hormuz) has been blocked and large numbers of vessels are stranded, scam groups have even posed as Iranian authorities to tell shipping companies that they can obtain a “Security Pass” by paying with cryptocurrency.

Greek maritime risk service company MARISKS issued a warning, saying that multiple shipping operators have already received scam messages requesting “tolls” to be paid in Bitcoin or USDT.

The report points out that, at present, there is certainty that at least one ship has fallen for the trap. When the ship tried to enter the strait, believing it had obtained “pass privileges,” it was immediately shot at, becoming an innocent victim amid this geopolitical crisis.

Since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran, Iran has blocked maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, there are currently about 20,000 tankers and other cargo ships stuck in the Persian Gulf.

However, the key factor that has pushed shipowners into panic—so much that they even struggle to tell truth from fiction—is that Iranian authorities previously had a similar concept. As early as April 9, authorities in Tehran had floated the idea of charging tolls “in exchange for cryptocurrency.” At the time, Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for the Iran oil, natural gas, and petrochemical products exporters union, publicly stated that this “toll” would likely be collected in the form of Bitcoin.

However, to cut off funding sources for the Iranian government and military action, U.S. President Trump, a week ago, already ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and has seized an Iranian vessel attempting to evade the blockade.

To prevent more shipping operators from being victimized, MARISKS has also publicly shared the phishing script used by the scam groups:

After you provide documents and they are assessed and qualified by Iran’s security departments, we will approve the specific amount you must pay in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). After you complete the payment, only then can your vessel cross the strait at the pre-agreed time.

MARISKS emphasizes that these messages are entirely a scam trap and are absolutely not from Iran’s official authorities.

• This article is authorized for republication from: 《BlockGeek》
• Original title: 《Taking advantage of someone’s misfortune! A “crypto toll” scam appears in the Strait of Hormuz, and ships have already fallen for it and been shot at》
• Original author: BlockGem MEL