Crisis in Persian Gulf: Cargo Ships Stranded, Crypto Scams on the Rise

While the Iran war initiated by the US and Israel coalition caused hundreds of ships to be stranded in the Persian Gulf, Iran recently said that transit fees can be paid with cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin. This decision, taken before the US blockade began, cannot now be implemented with the blockade. However, it is stated that in that short time, fraudsters contacted shipping companies, such as Iranian state officials, and asked for a passage fee through the Strait of Hormuz. According to the information provided by MARISKS, a gemcilik risk firm; It is even stated that a ship paid this amount and was shot while trying to pass through the strait. As you may remember, the audio recording of a radio conversation between a ship crew and Iranian officials was posted on social media recently. The ship captain was telling the Iranian officials, "We have paid and we are second on your list." However, Iranian authorities did not allow passage. It was not stated in that voice recording whether this ship made the payment with cryptocurrency or not and the reason why it was not allowed to pass. It is also noteworthy that fraudsters use bureaucratic language when they contact companies.