and with the hardware wallet, you have better chance of finding the owner rather than cracking the keys of that wallet. and you have moral obligation on this situation, that is, if you are that kind of person who value the morality. whether a hardware wallet or a physical one, returning to the owner is the right thing to do. now, this act depends on how the person has been brought up and how he deals with situation like this. you can't expect everyone to do the right thing when they feel they have something to gain.

Sorry the seed phrase was also found in the bag with the wallet and there is a possibility that you can transfer the coins to any other wallet. But morality can allow you to do that?

Finding a hardware wallet with 3 BTC is like hitting the crypto jackpot... only if you have the password and backup seeds.

Because we are not in his situation, it is easy to suggest that you will return the seed phrase if he unintentionally loses it. Most of the time, if a person finds something, even if it is small, they will not return it. How much more if you discovered something that will make you rich quickly, allowing you to quit your work and create your own home. Some people simply return the items they find since they know they can be traced. We all know what to do in that scenario, and there are still nice individuals who will return what they found; I hope we remain true to ourselves.

^It is good to be a good Samaritan.
As we always heard this (Be honest, even if others are not, even if others will not, and even if others cannot) that was probably the reason this story why the girl returned that big amount. Just considering the hypothetical situation of being in her shoes or finding a significant amount like BTC with the seed phrase, I would also aim to act with honesty and integrity. If I know the rightful owner and there's no way to locate them, I would make every effort to return the money or assets to them, even resorting to using media channels like Radio or TV if necessary. If all else fails, handing it over to the police would be the right thing to do, ensuring that the rightful owner has the best chance of reclaiming their property. Because for me, honesty and doing what is right should guide our actions in such situations.

I also don't see the purpose of this topic. Most people will of course say that they would return the wallet to the owner (if they know who it is) and no one will admit that they would keep the money for themselves. But we all know that's not true. If you have ever been in a situation or know someone who has lost a wallet with personal documents and money, you know that only in very rare situations does an honest finder contact the owner. True, there are still honest people in the world, but my experience is that people are mostly selfish and greedy.

I honestly don't know what I would do because I simply cannot imagine myself in such a situation. That whole imaginary scenario sounds too unreal to me. No normal person would actually carry a hardware wallet along with its recovery seed, so it's pointless to even talk about this kind of situation.

It is an interesting question….and it is mainly based on a controversy of principles, from what our parents taught us as children, perhaps for some, not returning money that was found is something normal and does not have any weight, but for the person who lost his money he can take it as a lack of morals, especially if this individual who took what was not his realized who was harmed, so depending on the circumstances in which the situation arises, conclusions can be drawn in this regard.

 For my part, there are different scenarios in which I would act reasonably without attacking my principles:

1-If I saw the person: I would immediately follow them and hand it over without thinking.
2-If I know the person: I would do exactly the same as in the previous point, I would try to communicate and express to him that I have something that belongs to him.
3-If I never saw the person and the money was simply there without any type of identification with which I can do something: I would simply take it, of course if this happens on the street, because if it is in an establishment, I would look for a way to deliver it.
4- If suddenly I get it and someone comes looking for what they lost, I would deliver it in its entirety.

You have to be honest and contribute to a better world, if you take something and you can have the opportunity to return it, it is best that you do so.

Not returning someone else's money you've found is stealing in my books, so obviously I'd return such a thing but most importantly I don't want others to do something like this to me (not return my money if I lose it some day) so I don't do it to others.

It must not be a Bitcoin story but can be anything else.

Good people will return any asset they found even that asset has value like a fortune with them. Such stories are not too rare in life and I believe you already read such stories some times in your life. So this Bitcoin story and your question is not necessary. The answer is obvious, if she is a good person, she will find ways to return Bitcoin to the victim but if she is morally bad, she will steal it and keep silent even if the victim asks her about that.