New scam promises ships safe passage through Strait of Hormuz: report

Iran: IRGC attacks ships in Strait of Hormuz

Iran says the Revolutionary Guard attacked several ships in the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump announced an indefinite continuation of the ceasefire. Fleur Hassan-Nahoum joined LiveNOW's Christy Matino to discuss the latest developments.

Hundreds of ships stuck in the Persian Gulf because of the Strait of Hormuz closure are now facing a new threat: scams promising safe passage through the critical waterway in exchange for money. 

Here’s the latest: 

Strait of Hormuz scam

What we know:

MARISKS, a Greek maritime risk management firm, says the scam messages are promising safe transit through the strait in exchange for cryptocurrency, according to Reuters. 

What they're saying:

"After 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," the message reads, according to MARISKS.

In this handout photo provided by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the U.S. accused of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Irani

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What we don't know:

It’s unclear who sent the messages. Iran has proposed charging vessels to cross the strait, but MARISKS says these messages are not from the Iranian government. 

RELATED: What to know about the Strait of Hormuz—and why it matters

The other side:

Tehran did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. 

Strait of Hormuz latest

At least 2 ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has attacked three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This comes after President Trump extended the US-Iran ceasefire.

The backstory:

The Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil passed daily before the war began, has been mostly closed since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. There’s no telling when it could reopen as the conflict continues. Tehran’s control over the critical strait has been one of its only advantages in the war. 

Iran briefly opened the strait on April 18, but closed it soon after in response to the U.S. keeping its blockade of Iranian ports. At least two boats reported being hit by gunfire when they tried to pass through, forcing them to turn around. 

One of those vessels was reportedly a victim of the cryptocurrency scam. 

On Wednesday, Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them, a day after President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely. 

By the numbers:

According to Reuters, hundreds of ​ships and about 20,000 mariners are stranded in the Persian Gulf because of the closure.