Bitcoin,  Security,  Tether

Scammers Demand Toll in BTC For Passage Through Strait of Hormuz

At least one vessel paid and was fired upon by Iran

By  / April 21, 2026 /

Scammers posing as Iranian authorities are offering passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency, Greek ‌maritime risk management firm Marisks has warned.

“These messages are a scam,” Marisks said, warning that they did not come from legitimate Iranian authorities, Reuters reported on April 21.

Iran’s blockade of the Strait, which it briefly lifted, has closed the vital waterway to hundreds of ships carrying oil and gas, threatening to create energy shortages around the world. Roughly a fifth of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas must pass through the Strait.

In response, the U.S. is blockading Iranian ports.

At least one vessel is believed to have been fooled by the scammers and was fired upon by Iranian forces as it approached the Strait on Saturday. It turned around.

The scam was plausible as Iran is reported to have considered charging tolls of as much as $2 million in bitcoin to allow vessels through the Strait while negotiations with the U.S are underway. Hundreds of ships with about 20,000 crew members are stranded in the Persian Gulf.

Marisks issued an alert on Monday that the scammers were demanding fees in either bitcoin or USDT stablecoins. The latter should have served as a warning, as USDT-issuer Tether has a history of quickly freezing its stablecoins during thefts or in response to requests from authorities.

According to Marisks, the scammers told a number of shipping companies, “[a]fter 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,” Reuters said.

Ships paying an Iranian toll risk being found in violation of harsh sanctions imposed by the U.S. and international authorities.

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Leo Jakobson, Modern Consensus editor-in-chief, is a New York-based journalist who has traveled the world writing about incentive travel. He has also covered consumer and employee engagement, small business, the East Coast side of the Internet boom and bust, and New York City crime, nightlife, and politics.