Let’s say you have a credit card with a $5,000 balance and a 20% interest rate. Even with payments of $300 a month, you’ll spend 20 months paying off the balance, along with $906 in interest.

One-use credit cards: Use a virtual credit card online that expires after one use; Don't use your regular credit card numbers on untried, unfamiliar Web sites. Some spoof as shops just to steal ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A mysterious credit card scam involving more than 100,000 bogus Internet transactions has delivered another alarming reminder about online commerce's security weaknesses.