Crypto scam lures ships into Strait of Hormuz, falsely promising safe passage

Crypto scammers are targeting the thousands of ships stranded near the Strait of Hormuz—and at least one ship that faced Iranian gunfire may have been tricked into believing it had paid Iran for safe passage.

The first warning of such a crypto scam came from the Greek maritime risk management company MARISKS on April 20, according to Reuters. The company alerted shipowners that scammers posing as Iranian authorities had sent messages to shipping companies asking for “transit fee” payments in bitcoin or tether.

That may be particularly confusing for shipping companies because of how Iran has asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz—a vital shipping channel and maritime chokepoint

→ Continue reading at Ars Technica

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