The Greek maritime threat administration company MARISKS issued an alert on Monday warning that scammers masquerading as Iranian officers are providing false guarantees of protected passage by way of the Strait of Hormuz to transport firms, in trade for ransoms paid in cryptocurrency.
No less than one ship seems to have fallen for such a rip-off, solely to be attacked by Iranian terrorist forces whereas making an attempt to go by way of the strait.
The warning from MARISKS stated that unidentified actors pretending to be Iranian officers are sending messages to shipowners, providing protected passage by way of the Strait of Hormuz in trade for “transit charges” to be paid in cryptocurrency, both Bitcoin or Tether.
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“After offering the paperwork and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Safety Companies, we can decide the charge to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Solely then will your vessel have the ability to transit the strait unimpeded on the pre-agreed time,” stated one of many fraudulent messages cited by MARISKS.
“These particular messages are a rip-off,” the Greek safety agency stated.
The fraudsters are evidently preying on reviews that Iran may try and cost a ransom or “toll” for protected passage, probably ranging as much as tens of millions of {dollars} per ship.
“We in parliament are pursuing a plan beneath which international locations pays tolls and taxes to the Islamic Republic if the Strait of Hormuz is used as a safe route for transit, vitality and meals safety,” Iranian lawmaker Somayeh Rafiei advised the Iranian College students’ Information Company (ISNA) on March 19.
“The safety of the strait will likely be established with power, authority and grandeur by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and international locations should pay a tax in return,” Rafiei stated.
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On April 9, Iranian officers claimed they’d begun amassing ransom funds of $1 per barrel of oil from tankers passing by way of the strait. The charges had been supposedly paid in cryptocurrency. The most important oil tankers can carry as much as two million barrels of oil.
President Donald Trump stated on April 12 that any ship paying tolls or ransom to Iran can be prevented by the U.S. Navy from passing by way of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian regime started denying reviews that it had charged some Indian ships a charge for protected passage.
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