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Man fakes Harvard MBA and boasts of success, lawyer steps in with legal reality check
A LinkedIn user faked a Harvard MBA for fun, gaining 7 million views and sparking outrage.
A LinkedIn user’s attempt to troll recruiters by faking a Harvard MBA has sparked outrage online after a lawyer publicly warned others against trying the same stunt. In a viral post, a man claimed he added a fictitious Harvard Business School degree to his LinkedIn profile “just for fun,” pointing out that there was no verification process but instantly boosted his credibility in the eyes of recruiters and connections.
"Master’s degrees are useless. I literally gave myself one on LinkedIn just for fun (there’s no verification process) Since adding this to my profile, the DMs have been flowing in. Every other message mentions how “impressive” my academic background is. So instead of spending $100K+ and wasting years of your life on a degree, just add it to your LinkedIn. No one checks. No one questions. Fake it till you make it has never been easier," the LinkedIn user said.
But the joke didn’t sit well with everyone. On X, a lawyer who goes by SMB Attorney issued a blunt response: “Guys, do not do this. And, yes, this is legal advice.”
The exchange quickly went viral, amassing over 7 million views in less than 24 hours. Many users slammed the idea as unethical and potentially career-damaging, while others pointed out the ease with which hiring platforms can be fooled.
"As a person who has hired quite a few people, Background checking is a thing. Sterling will check every single credential and job in your history. Making a mistake by a month or two on a job timeline is one thing, but substantially lying about your credentials is foolish," said one of them.
Another remarked, "I mean, he just said it works. Why not do it? Maybe even make it a startup that helps people fake it until they make it. There’s a clear market for it."
