Crypto Fraudsters Target Stranded Seafarers With Fake Hormuz Toll Scheme

Scammers are exploiting the Hormuz crisis amid the US-Iran war. Greek maritime risk firm MARISKS issued the scam warning on Monday.

According to the firm, fraudsters posing as Iranian authorities are messaging shipping companies whose vessels are stranded, demanding digital asset payments for supposed “safe-passage” clearance. 

How the Scam Exploits Iran’s Real Crypto Toll Scheme

The scam draws plausibility from an actual policy announcement in Tehran. Iran recently stated that, during the two-week ceasefire, oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz would be required to pay tolls of up to $2 million in cryptocurrency.

Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, told the Financial Times that vessels must first submit cargo details via email to Iranian authorities. Following this, they will be issued a toll fee, reportedly payable in Bitcoin (BTC).

The fraudsters weaponize that legitimacy. According to MARISKS, unidentified actors approached shipping companies with messages demanding transit fees in Bitcoin or Tether (USDT), in exchange for so-called “clearance.” However, the firm stressed that “these specific messages are a scam.”

Their messages mimic bureaucratic language, citing Iranian Security Services checks and pre-agreed transit windows to appear authentic.

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“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,” read the message cited ​by MARISKS.

The fraud may already carry notable consequences. MARISKS believes that at least one vessel fired upon on Saturday had paid scammers.

Roughly 20% of global oil passed through Hormuz before the war. With hundreds of ships and around 20,000 seafarers now stranded in the Gulf, the disruption has created a broad and vulnerable pool of potential victims.

The scam adds to a broader surge in crypto-enabled crime. Industry data shows that April 2026 saw roughly $606 million in losses across 12 hacking incidents.

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