Defendant
Updated 2026-09-29
A defendant is the party being sued in a civil case, or the person facing charges in a criminal case. In a scam recovery claim, the defendant is usually the person or company alleged to have taken the money, or an account holder linked to where it went.
Naming the correct defendant matters, since a civil claim needs to be brought against an identifiable person or entity, not an anonymous online profile. This is one reason tracing who controls a receiving account is an early step, often using a blockchain explorer or bank records.
A defendant has the right to respond to a claim and put forward their own case before a court decides the matter, whether at an inter partes hearing or trial.
When it matters
Identifying a proper defendant early shapes whether a civil claim is realistic at all, since a claim cannot proceed against someone who cannot be identified or located.
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