Scammers Demand Toll in BTC For Passage Through Strait of Hormuz

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…