Have Alerted Authorities & Harvard: Nidhi Razdan Reveals How She Fell For Phishing Attack

Nidhi Razdan, former NDTV journalist, opened up on how she fell victim to a phishing attack offering her a teaching position at Harvard University as Associate Professor, further stating that she has duly alerted the institution and authorities about the same. In a blog, she elaborated on the way the alleged scam had been made to look authentic in a bid to acquire her personal data and private records. "I'll take it on the chin, learn from it and move on," she wrote.

In June 2020, Razdan had announced she would be quitting broadcast channel NDTV after a 21-year stint to head to Harvard University as a professor of journalism. On Friday, Twitter blew up with the news of her having fallen for a hoax offer letter from Harvard after she issued a statement on the matter. Writing more on the circumstances she finds herself in, Razdan penned a blog on NDTV today, titled: "I Am Nidhi Razdan, Not A Harvard Professor, But..."

I have been the victim of a very serious phishing attack. I’m putting this statement out to set the record straight about what I’ve been through. I will not be addressing this issue any further on social media. pic.twitter.com/bttnnlLjuh

— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) January 15, 2021

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Nidhi Razdan On How She Believed In A Hoax Offer Letter

After Razdan's admission that she had believed in a hoax offer from Harvard, netizens raised several questions over the situation. When Joshua Benton, the founder of Neiman Journalism Lab at Harvard commented that the varsity has “no school of journalism, no department of journalism and no professors of journalism," it caused a furore with regard to Razdan's claims, alleging the lack of a basic fact-check on her end. Read more here. 

Addressing doubts around her story, she writes, "Contrary to what many are tweeting, Harvard has a school called the Extension School offering a Journalism Degree Programme. The actual programme is called the Master of Liberal Arts, Journalism degree."

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She reveals she was apparently contacted for a teaching position by someone who allegedly claimed to be a Human Resources official at the University. "The offer letter and the agreement appeared to be on a genuine letterhead with the University insignia, and contained the "signatures" of all senior Harvard University officials who actually do hold those positions even today," she writes.

Have Alerted Authorities, Razdan Says

After realising the seriousness of the crime, Razdan says she alerted authorities, filed a police complaint, and has even communicated her concerns to people at Harvard. "I have filed a police complaint and handed over all the documents and communication. This was a gross criminal act," she claims.

The senior anchor, as one of the leading women journalists of India, is known for being the former executive editor at NDTV and prominently helming the award-winning news show Left, Right & Centre.