A mnemonic seed phrase without a pass phrase would mean its game over if an evil maid finds a seed QR or stamped metal back up. I teach noobs to use a passphrase and keep multiple copies, then hide their seed diligently and securely. nostr:nprofile1qqs0w2xeumnsfq6cuuynpaw2vjcfwacdnzwvmp59flnp3mdfez3czpsprpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezumr0wpczuum0vd5kzmp0ksxxx2 surely even device PINs need to be stored effectively?
Discussion
Like everything else in Bitcoin you need to understand what you're doing, obviously this guy didn't. Passphrases are a great tool - just use your imagination and commonsense, think through every possibility of losing it and protect against that without overcomplicating the process.
Having the seed phrase laying around is a bad idea unless your passphrase is at least 128 bits secure.
The evil maid can steal the phrase and take her time bruteforcing the wallet.