Finance
What to know (or how to avoid getting scammed while your ship is literally on fire):
- Apparently, scammers are now moonlighting as Iranian authorities, demanding Bitcoin or USDT for “safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz. Because nothing says “legit” like a crypto ransom from a random email address. Thanks, Marisks, for the heads-up!
- Marisks, a Greek risk management firm (aka the heroes we didn’t know we needed), thinks at least one ship fell for this genius scheme and got fired upon. Spoiler alert: Paying scammers doesn’t actually make your ship bulletproof.
- This whole mess started after Tehran proposed official crypto tolls for safe transit. Because why not add blockchain to the geopolitical chaos? Marisks is quick to clarify: these scam messages are about as official as a knockoff Birkin bag.
So, shipowners are getting emails like, “Hey, pay us in Bitcoin or your ship might accidentally catch fire.” And at least one captain was like, “Sure, why not?” according to Reuters. Marisks, the maritime risk experts, are basically the Liam Neeson of the shipping world: “If you’re looking for crypto, we can tell you we don’t have any. But what we do have is a very particular set of skills.”
Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is basically a parking lot for 20,000 oil tankers and freighters since the U.S. and Israel decided to throw a party in the Middle East back in February. And let’s not forget President Trump’s naval blockade, which is about as effective as a screen door on a submarine.
Tehran, ever the trendsetter, proposed crypto tolls for safe passage. Hamid Hosseini, their spokesperson, said they’d probably accept Bitcoin. Because nothing says “international diplomacy” like cryptocurrency.
Marisks dropped their warning on Monday, and Iran’s response? Crickets. Classic.
“These messages are a scam,” Marisks said, probably while facepalming. “They’re about as legit as a gluten-free donut.” The fraudulent message, according to Reuters, reads like a bad Nigerian prince email: “After we assess your eligibility (aka after we laugh at your desperation), pay us in crypto, and maybe we’ll let your ship through.”
The shipping company? Radio silence. Probably too busy Googling “how to get out of a crypto scam.”
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2026-04-21 13:40