The most powerful fraud syndicate in history impersonates Iran to collect BTC for Strait passage fees; deceived tankers may be at risk of being fired upon.

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On April 21, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS issued a warning that unidentified scammers are impersonating Iranian authorities, sending messages to shipping companies stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz demanding "clearance fees" in BTC or USDT. MARISKS explicitly stated that these messages were not issued by Iranian authorities and noted that the vessel fired upon by Iranian ships while attempting to exit the strait on April 18 may have been a victim of this scam. (Previous coverage: Reports of another Hormuz blockade: Indian VLCC allegedly forced back by IRGC, shots fired) (Background: Iran turns hostile: War could restart at any time, Strait of Hormuz blocked again, Bitcoin pulls back to $75,500) According to Reuters, citing MARISKS, scam syndicates have emerged in the Persian Gulf sending "fake official notices" to tanker companies, such as: "After submitting documents and undergoing evaluation by Iranian security services, we will determine the fees to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your vessel be able to pass through the strait without obstruction at the pre-arranged time." MARISKS stated that Iranian authorities do not collect fees in this manner and that these are likely scam syndicates. The problem is that Iran is actually doing this. Iran's Standard: IRGC intermediaries, crypto payments, cargo manifests Bloomberg reported on April 1 that the IRGC is charging transit fees to ships seeking passage, with rates ranging from $0.5 to $1 per barrel of crude oil, tiered by the ship's flag state. A fully loaded VLCC carrying 2 million barrels would face a single transit fee of approximately $2 million. Payment methods include RMB (via Bank of Kunlun or the CIPS clearing system) as well as cryptocurrencies, with both BTC and USDT accepted. The process involves shipping companies contacting IRGC-affiliated intermediaries, submitting proof of vessel ownership, flag, cargo manifest, destination port, crew list, and AIS tracking data. Once the amount is negotiated and the crypto payment is made, transit permission is granted. Iran officially codified this payment method through the "Strait of Hormuz Management Plan" between March 30 and 31. Scam syndicates have copied this SOP, swapped the receiving wallets, and packaged themselves as IRGC intermediaries, with the sole requirement being cryptocurrency. The tanker fired upon on April 18 On Saturday, April 18, a vessel attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz was fired upon by Iranian ships. MARISKS believes this vessel may have already paid the "clearance fee," only for the money to end up in the scammers' wallets rather than with the Iranian authorities. The original Reuters report noted that it could not independently verify this claim, nor could it track which companies had received the scam messages. Currently, hundreds of ships are stranded on the west side of the strait, with approximately 20,000 seafarers trapped. The extended waiting times and chaotic situation provide the perfect breeding ground for scams: the sense of urgency lowers judgment and increases the success rate of fraud. The temporary US-Iran ceasefire agreement is set to expire on April 23, just two days from the time of writing. Whether the situation in the Strait of Hormuz can stabilize remains unanswered.

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