BEIJING - A court in Beijing rejected an appeal by convicts in a cross-border telecom fraud case Wednesday.

The Beijing Higher People's Court upheld the first-instance verdict issued by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court in Dec 21, 2017, which sentenced 85 people to prison for terms ranging from 21 months to 15 years.

A total of 66 offenders made an appeal after the first-instance verdict. The higher people's court heard the case and affirmed that the original verdict was legal and the sentences were appropriate.

The offenders, pretending to work for courier services, health insurance bureaus, police and procuratorate authorities, falsely informed victims they were suspected of crimes due to leaked personal information and persuaded them to transfer money or to make others transfer money to appointed accounts, according to the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court.

The convicts pleaded guilty to cheating 185 victims out of more than 29 million yuan ($4.3 million).