Did you know that banks can hold your money hostage? Well, they can, and the ransom you have to pay to get your money back: clear all outstanding dues. Banks have devised a clever way of ensuring that customers clear credit card dues and repay loans on time. If you default for several months, the bank can deduct money from your savings accounts or refuse to pay money from the fixed deposit when it matures.No, banks aren’t trying to con you. What they are doing is perfectly legal. In fact, they have your permission to do so. You don’t remember giving it, do you? But you did when you signed on the dotted line while availing of the loan or the credit card and accepted the terms and conditions (T&C).The fine print will have a statement similar to this: “I hereby grant and confirm the existence same day loans of the right of lien and set-off with the Bank, which it may use anytime to utilise any money belonging to me and deposited with the bank, towards any outstanding dues”.All this legalese simply means that the bank has the right to deduct money from your account. “Any collateral that the bank can legitimately hold can be held back. Even FDs can be used,” says Harsh Roongta, CEO, Apnapaisa.com. Of course, if your T&C does not state this, the bank cannot touch your money.Says Kishori Udeshi, chairman of the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India that lays down the code of conduct for bankers: “Banks can’t debit unless you agreed that such measure can be taken while taking a loan. However, if you have signed on the loan contract and it mentions that the assets can be adjusted, then they can.