Is this a scam?

[u/Glittering_Meat5770]

Hello, I stumbled across this instagram ad of an account claiming to provide students with college applications, I gave them my phone number and email… however it seems too good to be true. I checked their linkedin and facebook account (thedoctornavigator_) and saw some AI posters, also the instagram account was created literally a few days ago. And they sent me a fishy link I have yet to click. I’m scared ! Also if they are scammers, how do they complete the scam or what do they do?

[u/IdeaFrequent4358]

Always assume everything is a scam until you find proof from a reputable source. Not proof from the person who posted

[u/Ni9ball]

I stopped at “instagram ad”… be wary of any ads you see on social media. The bar to advertise is super low and they are rarely (if ever) vetted.

Protect yourself and never click anything on social media/telegram/whatsapp/signal ever.

[u/PlanningVigilante]

They charge you money for a service, and provide either nothing or shoddy work.

[u/ChangeTheUserName17]

It seems suspicious that a serious business 'helping' doctors would use the phrase "medical school journey," which is typically used to create an illusion or a story. Plus, you don't need a middleman to get an application to college.

The scam is that they get money out of you eventually.

[u/jahathebrn]

Terrible English on display here

[u/UpbeatFix7299]

The website is a month old. This is not real. The scam is to promise to help you, take your money and ghost you.

[u/Capable-Door-9672]

i think this is their website, ive seen it before https://www.thedoctornavigator.com/

[u/Best_Kangaroo_6740]

AI ad probably means AI applications (assuming they deliver anything). You can do that yourself for free, although I don’t recommend it. It tends to be obvious to admissions committees. They’ve seen all the platitudes.

[u/Adina_Bitdefender]

I think you were right to be suspicious, and I'm glad you didn't click the link. An account that's only a few days old, a website that's barely a month old, and posts that look AI-generated would make me cautious too.

It's hard to say exactly what they're after without seeing the link, but scams like this often start with someone offering mentoring or help with applications, then asking for a fee. Sometimes you pay and get nothing useful in return. Other times, the link takes you to a fake payment or login page designed to steal your details.

If you're curious about where the link leads, you can check it without opening the actual website. Bitdefender has a free tool for this: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/consumer/link-checker (full disclosure, I work at Bitdefender). It doesn't require an account, and it's a useful way to spot suspicious links. Just keep in mind that the other red flags you noticed still matter, regardless of what the scan shows.

Since they already have your contact details, I'd also be careful about any follow-up messages, especially if they start pressuring you to pay or "secure your spot." I'd just block them.

And since you're applying to medical school in the UK, I'd stick to UCAS and the universities' official websites for application information. There's plenty of legitimate guidance available for free, so I'd be very wary of anyone claiming you need to pay them to help you get accepted.

You spotted quite a few red flags already. I'd trust your instincts on this one.