The CC companies will not tell you this, but the number one place that card numbers get ripped off is restaurants, or at least that was the conclusion of an undercover TV crew's report that they conducted here in Tokyo for 3 months.
Think about it, when you go to the gas station and pay with a CC, the clerk swipes the card in front of you, and hands you your card back, same in the clothing store, Department store etc, but at a restaurants, you give them the card, they walked away from your table, go behind a counter and swipe your card, out of site. A card info catching device is about the size of a pack of smokes, it runs on batteries, and can hold up to 100 cards worth of info on it.
Nothing against restaurants or the staff there, the vast majority of them are honest hardworking (VERY hard working, I bussed tables and worked as a waiter for a few years while at Uni) people, but, especially at peak times, when they are swamped, most restaurants will take on staff, with little or no background checks, I mean, the person is being hired for as a waiter, no need to call the FBI
Even in a good restaurant, where only the head staff, salaried employees process the cards, the waiters can still easily get the card info. While the waiter is walking back to counter to give the card to the head waiter etc. to be processed, they have the card catcher device in their hand, under their tray, the swipe the card, and then had it to the head waiter, at some point they put the card catcher back in their pocket.
it takes at least a couple of weeks for the theft of the info to show up, so the card thief works for a week or two at the restaurant, then quits. They use a phony name and address, and they get paid cash each night.
I'd trust the internet, dealing with a known company, a lot further than I'd trust some part-time employee at a restaurant.
Just my two yens worth! CASH!!
I pay cash at restaurants, everywhere else, just about, I use my CC.