How many types of dark patterns do banks use? This is how they defraud you; understand every detail..

Last Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took a tough stand against the mis-selling of financial products, including insurance, by banks, urging them to focus on their core business. In a major move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued draft directives proposing stricter regulations on the marketing and sale of financial products, prohibiting bundling and dark patterns (inducing customers to purchase products they do not need), and requiring explicit customer consent.

Dark patterns to be eliminated by July
Under this draft, titled "Responsible Business Conduct Amendment Directions, 2026," all banks will be required to ensure that they do not have any dark patterns by July 2026.

According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, dark patterns in banking and financial services are UI/UX (user interface/user experience) designs that mislead users or induce them to do things they don't want to do—such as purchasing unwanted products.

These patterns can undermine consumer freedom and decision-making, leading to misleading advertising, unfair trade practices, or consumer rights violations.

These are 8 ways to detect dark patterns.
According to LocalCircles, one of the dark patterns many customers encounter is basket sneaking, which involves adding additional charges to a service at the last minute without informing them.

Customers are repeatedly tricked into purchasing products.

Forcing them to sign up for a different service on an online banking platform and requesting additional personal information to access a feature.

A subscription is offered, and then wasted time is spent calling the branch to cancel it.

Many customers experience a 'bait and switch' situation, where the final product or service is different from what was originally described or agreed upon at the time of sign-up.

Interface disruptions are sometimes encountered, where the interface has been changed, or redirects are made to promote or offer a different product or service.

Hidden charges are often deducted from accounts without notice.

Confusing or misleading information is often found on online banking platforms. Language (e.g., double negatives and lack of clear options) – such as opting out of messages or declining offers.

Hidden Fees Cause Trouble for Users
When it comes to banking, customers face many difficulties. For example, a banking app may advertise a free or low-cost service, but then, when the user initiates a transaction, hidden charges such as transfer fees, maintenance fees, or account inactivity fees are added.

These fees are only discovered when the user is about to complete the process. The result is that charges or fees are unexpectedly added at the final stage of the transaction, even after the user has already invested time and effort. In many other cases, the charges are not disclosed upfront but are added to the bill later.

Closing an Account is More Difficult
Closing an account is even more difficult than opening one. Hidden fees emerge at the last minute, and opting out of data sharing can feel like navigating a maze. These aren't glitches or oversights, they're dark patterns carefully crafted to manipulate the decisions of digital users. These are the problems the RBI is trying to address.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.