Did crypto scam by fake IRGC trigger real IRGC firing on Indian ship in Hormuz?

Was an Indian ship fired upon by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz last week caught in a crypto scam? Reports of fake ‘clearance’ messages raise questions about whether the vessel was caught off guard despite believing it had permission. Let’s try connecting the dots here.

On Saturday, the Indian merchant ship Sanmar Herald came under heavy fire while attempting to cross the strait. In the middle of the exchange, the captain made a frantic radio call to Iranian officials.

In the audio, the captain can be heard saying: “Sepah Navy! Sepah Navy! This is a motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go! My name is second on your list! You gave me clearance to go! You are firing now! Let me turn back!”

Now, this is where things get interesting: if Sanmar Herald had been given clearance to pass through Hormuz, why was it fired upon?

Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS said it believed one of the ships that came under gunfire on Saturday may have been defrauded, international news agency Reuters reported.

The other Indian-flagged vessel that came under fire was Jag Arnav, a bulk carrier heading to Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia, while Sanmar Herald was carrying crude oil from Iraq to India.

The incident even led India to summon the Iranian envoy, as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed the government’s “deep concern.”

Apart from the two Indian ships that were fired upon by the IRGC on Saturday, two other incidents were reported that day while crossing Hormuz. One involved a French container ship that was hit by an “unknown projectile” and reported damage to its containers. The other involved the cruise ship Mein Schiff 4, which said the IRGC threatened to fire but did not, though a nearby splash was reported.

The risk of hundreds of ships stranded in the strait for nearly two months falling prey to scams is real, MARISKS has warned. It said scammers have already cast their ‘phishing’ nets wide in the waters of Hormuz, posing as IRGC officials and promising safe passage in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Without naming the vessel, MARISKS cited a fraudulent message it said was received by the ship: “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.”

Shortly after the incident, both MARISKS and the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued warnings to shipping companies with vessels stranded at the critical energy chokepoint.

In its alert on Monday, MARISKS warned that unknown actors were posing as Iranian authorities, exploiting the desperation of stranded ships and demanding transit fees in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

However, the UKMTO has also not revealed the identity of the affected vessel.

- Ends