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Biography

Cooper A. Maher is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Maher’s research interests center upon understanding online fraud victimization, including understanding the correlates of risk, victimization consequences, and victim decision making as it relates to fraud. He is a member of the University of Cincinnati Cybercrime and Behavior Online Research Group (UC UCYBORG), which engages in research examining fraud and cybercrime more generally to understand the role of human behavior in these offenses. Dr. Maher also engages in research examining the association between disabilities—particularly intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)—and victimization risk, consequences, and reporting. Finally, Dr. Maher’s research also centers upon understanding fear of crime, including understanding the correlates and consequences of fear of crime and understanding altruistic fear of crime. Dr. Maher’s research has appeared in various peer-reviewed journals, including Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, Criminal Justice and Behavior, the American Journal of Criminal Justice, Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Deviant Behavior.

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Current Research

• Geospatial and temporal analysis of fraud victimization
• Examination of the correlates of personal and altruistic fear of cybercrime
• Examining fraud education and awareness education for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
• Examining methodological considerations in the disclosure of fear of crime
• Examining cybercrime trends in the United States
• Organizational analysis of police policies for individuals with IDD

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Areas of Expertise

• Fraud and identity theft
• Cybercrime
• Fear of crime
• Victimization
• Organizational response to cybercrime
• Disabilities and criminal justice

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Selected Publications

Engle, T.A., Maher, C.A., & Jones, M. (2025). Afraid of the unknown: Crypto literacy and fear of online fraud. Journal of Economic Criminology.

Hayes, B.E., Burckley, J., Maher, C.A., Powers, R.A., Simmons, A.K., & McKingsley, L.A. (2025). Accessibility of victim service agencies’ websites for individuals with disabilities. Crime & Delinquency.

Maher, C.A. (2025). Buyer beware, or buyer unaware? Examining the correlates of consumer fraud victimization acknowledgment in the United States. Crime & Delinquency.

Maher, C.A., Corsello, R.M., Engle, T.A., Kuhlman, J.D., & Nedelec, J.L. (2024). Correlates of victim services for fraud and identity theft among victim service providers. Journal of Criminal Justice.

Maher, C.A., & Hayes, B.E. (2025). Privacy please: The presence of others and disclosure of identity theft victimization. Deviant Behavior.

Maher, C.A., & Holt, T.J. (2025). Stolen valor? Examining the associations between military service, data breach victimization, and identity theft victimization. Crime & Delinquency.

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