THE newly crowned winner of a German TV singing contest has admitted in court to defrauding pensioners.

    Severino Seeger won 500,000 euros (US$530,900) on the show “Germany’s Quest for a Superstar” (“DSDS”) last month.

    The 28-year-old was accused of being part of a gang that tricked victims, mainly elderly women, out of about 19,000 euros using a bank card scam.

    Reports say the court hearing in Frankfurt was delayed until after the “DSDS” final.

    Seeger appeared before a judge Tuesday as the court was due to hear testimony from several elderly witnesses.

    Local media showed images of fans crowding around the building, some wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Superstar 2015: Prince of hearts.”

    The singer is alleged to have posed as a bank employee to help collect cards and pin numbers from victims, many of them older women.

    Gang members — several of whom have already been convicted — called their targets to tell them their cards needed to be checked because of technical problems. The oldest victim is said to have been 88 years old.

    Seeger told the court he had just separated from his first wife when he was manipulated by a number of people, including a cousin, according to German media.

    “I said yes because I was stupid,” he said.

    He was earlier quoted as saying he was “ashamed” of what he had done. “I will pay the money back to the cent,” he told Bild newspaper.

    The singer was voted winner of the 12th series of “DSDS” — part of the “Idol” franchise — in mid-May with the song “Hero of My Heart.”

    As well as the prize money, Seege won a top recording contract. (SD-Agencies)