CRYPTO scammers are targeting thousands of ships stranded near the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one vessel coming under gunfire after it reportedly paid for safe passage. The first warning of the scam was raised by the Greek maritime risk management company MARISKS on 20 April 2026, according to Reuters.
Scammers, posing as Iranian authorities, sent messages demanding a “transit fee” in bitcoin or tether as ships sought to pass through the waterway, which Iran has claimed control over and used to require a cryptocurrency toll. MARISKS identified a ship that had attempted to pass through the strait on 18 April, which turned back after Iranian military forces fired upon it; about 2,000 ships and 20,000 mariners remain stranded nearby.
On 22 April 2026 the Liberia-flagged cargo ship Epaminondas, owned by Technomar Shipping and operated by MSC, was fired upon after reportedly receiving permission to pass, with authorities checking whether the passage message may have been fraudulent. Shipping traffic in the strait has effectively halted amid ongoing clashes and a U.S. blockade that began on 13 April 2026.