Existing Investments

Downing administers VCTs managed by its in-house team and by third parties.

Details of the various investment schemes can be found by clicking on the links on the left.

Existing investments
Category Details
Downing VCTs VCTs managed by Downing including general shareholder updates
Other VCTs VCTs managed by third parties where Downing is the administrator
Other schemes Other investment schemes managed by Downing
Old VCTs Details of VCTs which have now merged or been renamed
 

"Scam" telephone calls to shareholders

We have become aware that a significant number of shareholders of VCTs managed by both Downing and other VCT houses have recently received unsolicited telephone calls from a company purporting to be acting on behalf of a client who is looking to acquire a controlling stake in the VCT, and therefore wishes to offer to buy the shareholder's VCT shares at a highly inflated price. We believe these calls to be part of a "Boiler Room Scam".  The volume of these calls appears to have increased significantly in the latter part of January.

The calls appear to be coming from outside the UK. In many cases, the caller has said they are calling from New York.  Examples of names that have been used by the callers are "The Jacobson Group", "NT Financial", "Beerscott Ellliot and Associates" and "Harris Jones and Associates". The caller often tries to convince the shareholder to sign a non-disclosure agreement. We have reported some of the details of these calls to the FSA. Advice published by the FSA in relation to such schemes can be found here.

We believe that the ultimate objective of this scam may be to get the shareholder to contribute to some sort of insurance premium that eventually becomes payable in connection with a third party who is acquiring VCTs shares.

VCT shareholders are warned to be extremely suspicious if they receive any similar type of telephone call. Shareholders should be not sign any documents or make any payments to any third parties as a result of such a call. If you have any doubts, please contact Downing on 020 7416 7780.