Reddit mentions of SentrySafe H3300 Safe Fire-Safe Waterproof Security File, 1.29 Cubic Feet, Silver Gray

Credit freezes are permanent until lifted. And OP definitely wants freezes, not the weaker "fraud alerts". (With just a fraud alert, businesses and banks can still issue and offer services, they are just supposed to do extra verification. A freeze stops it altogether unless you unfreeze your reports.)

Here's a quick guide. I'm making it kind of general to anyone so that I can copy/paste it in the future:

• First and foremost, report any stolen credit cards or missing checks to their respective banks or issuers.
  
  
• As immediately as possible, place freezes with each of the following Credit Reporting Agencies (the "Big 3" plus 1):
  Experian Security Freeze
  Equifax Security Freeze
  TransUnion Security Freeze
  Innovis Security Freeze
  Depending on your state, these may be free for everyone, or may only be free for identity theft victims. If it's free in your state, or if you don't mind paying for immediate peace of mind, then place the freezes online and skip to the next bullet point. If you can't afford to pay, but your state makes it free for identity theft victims, place a fraud alert immediately online (free, and unlike a freeze you only have to do it with one agency, they will report it to the others), then file an identity theft affadavit and police report (info below) and then come back and file your free freezes (you will need to mail them in with copies of your documentation).
  
  
• Next, freeze ChexSystems (so nobody can open a bank account, at most places, in your name):
  ChexSystems Security Freeze
  
  
• Also, opt-out of pre-screened credit offers from coming to you in the mail:
  OptOutPrescreen
  
  
• After all your freezes, create an identity theft affidavit and file a police report. You can file your affidavit online with the FTC. When you are finished, save your complaint reference number, and click "Click here to get your completed FTC Identity Theft Affidavit". Make sure to save a copy and print it.
  Then, file your police report. Bring your filled out affidavit, a form of government issued ID, proof of address, and a copy of the FTC memo to law enforcement with you.
  If you haven't signed the affidavit yet, bring your affadavit to a notary public to have notarized. Many banks offer notary services for free. DO NOT sign the affadavit until instructed to do so by the notary public! They must witness your signature! Now you will have a notarized identity theft affadavit along with the police report. Together these two documents make up your "Identity Theft Report", and will be the basis for any future disputes.
  Resources:
  FTC.gov Identity Theft Affidavit (.pdf)
  If you don't want to file online with the FTC, you can print this blank affidavit and fill it out.
  FTC.gov Identity Theft Guide (.pdf)
  There are sample documents at the end of the identity theft guide, including a blank identity theft affadavit, and also sample dispute letters.
  
  
• File a Form 14039, Identity Theft Affadavit with the IRS. Read it, fill it out, sign and mail it. Then continue to file and pay your taxes like usual.
  
  
• Pull a copy of your credit report to look for newly opened accounts. You will need to dispute fraudulent accounts with both the credit reporting agency, and with the fraud department of the bank or lender where the accounts were opened. You should also look for recent credit inquiries that you didn't initiate (signs of attempted fraud), and check to make sure that the only addresses being reported on your credit report are your actual address (thieves will open accounts using addresses they control, or try and change the address for your existing accounts to one they control). Dispute any fraudulent inquiries or addresses. You can get copies of your reports for free via www.annualcreditreport.com, or through a credit monitoring service (read below).
  
  
• You should also consider signing up for a credit monitoring service that will let you have daily report pulls, and keep it signed up for at least a couple of months (preferably a year). If you have AmEx, I would sign up for CreditSecure Unlimited, otherwise any service that has 3 bureau monitoring that has alerts is fine, such as USAA CreditCheck Monitoring Premium. You placed freezes, so if nothing comes up in the next couple of months, it probably never will. If you can't afford a paid service, consider signing up for Credit Sesame (uses Experian), CreditKarma (uses TransUnion), and Quizzle (uses Equifax). It's a pain in the ass to have to manage three logins and look out for alerts from different places, but it's your only (long term) free route.
  
  
• If you want to reduce the amount of personal information about you available online, use a service like SafeShepherd. You can cancel after a couple of months, because once they've done the heavy lifting of opting you out of databases, you probably don't need them anymore.
  
  
• While you are at it, put all of your phone numbers on the Do Not Call Registry if they aren't already. You can verify online if you aren't sure.
  
  
• Keep an eye on your accounts. Check your recent transactions frequently. Set up SMS alerts with your bank and credit cards for things like "address changes", "failed log-in attempts", and/or "suspicious activity" so that you can be notified immediately.
  
  
• If you need to mail anything, send all mail certified, return reciept requested, and make a note to yourself of what you sent along with the certified mailing number. It is important to have a paper trail for documents, and certified mail is the gold standard for sending legal correspondence. Send copies of original documents if possible, but if you need to send original documents keep copies of them for yourself (write brief notes like the Certified Mail #'s on the copies, so that you don't lose that information). When you get back the green signature receipt cards, attach them to your copies of what you sent.
  
  
• Change your passwords, and use two-factor authentication (2FA) for any accounts that support it. Especially Email and Banking services. Gmail, Bank of America, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, and many other services support two factor authentication. You can find a whole list at twofactorauth.org. Make sure to print out backup codes (if applicable), and keep the backup codes in a safe location such as a fireproof safe. Two factor authentication will keep anyone who gets your password from being able to log in, but if you don't have your backup codes and you lose your phone or device, you'll be locked out too!
  
  
• Immediately dispute fraudulent activity as soon as you learn of it. Dispute debt collection notices within 30 days (to protect your rights under FDCPA), and send all disputes via certified mail, return receipt requested.
  
  
• Protect your information more carefully in the future. Keep important identification and sensitive documents on your person at all times when they are not in a secure place (a locked car is not a secure place). If you don't have a safe deposit box you should invest in a safe (preferably a fire resistant RSC-rated safe, but any cheap locking fire safe is better than nothing) to store your documents in at home, and only take them out for as little time as is absolutely necessary. Don't carry your social security card in your purse or wallet.
  
  FYI OP: If you had a passport or passport card, those are considered a "List A" document, and you could have presented just that with your I9, without needing to provide your birth certificate or social security card. You should use those in the future. Although, if you lost your passport you would still need to report them as missing or stolen.
  
  edit: Thanks for the gold! I've also cleaned it up a bit and added it to the wiki, so it'll appear in the index list at some point: /r/personalfinance/wiki/identity_theft

"You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me."

I bought one of these at a yard sale (it seemed like a good idea at the time). Because I own nothing valuable that would fit in it, all it contains a cheap 15 lb concrete gargoyle that I bought at a garden center. Some day there's going to be a very pissed off burglar in my town.

First, get yourself one of these for the bottom of your closet: http://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-H3300-1-29-Cubic-Foot-Waterproof-Security/dp/B000Z8T7FQ/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1421352197&sr=8-10&keywords=sentry+safe

Put your jewelry and papers into it. In case of fire, you grab that one case and you're good.

It sucks that she moved across the boundaries and used your room. I'm betting there's some embarrassing reason for it that now that you're upset, she's unwilling to share.

I think that you work to get over your fear of people seeing your underwear, and have a frank talk with her where you say something like "Look, I'm not sure why you needed to use my bed. And normally I'm willing to share my things in most cases. But I would appreciate the courtesy of asking before you do, so I can make that choice ok? Are we good?"

You know....like grownups?

This is probably a dumb question, but in theory could I use one of these to store my handguns (it's obviously too small for a rifle)?

http://www.amazon.ca/SentrySafe-H3300-Fire-Safe-Waterproof-Security/dp/B000Z8T7FQ

Edit: it weighs about 60 pounds empty, so not much risk of someone picking it up and walking off with it.