A more thorough explanation:

Resume inflation is when someone includes false or misleading information on their resume to make themselves look better to potential employers. This is also called "resume fraud." Examples of resume inflation include adding degrees or awards that were never earned or claiming to have held positions that were never actually held.

Depending on the jurisdiction, an individual may be held liable for resume inflation. If an individual is found to have committed resume fraud, they could face legal consequences such as fines or imprisonment. This would most likely be considered fraud. For example, under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, an individual could be fined or imprisoned if they "knowingly and willfully . . . makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation."

Almost all states have criminal fraud statutes as well, which could potentially be used to prosecute resume inflation. For example, California Penal Code § 532 states that anyone who knowingly and fraudulently defrauds another person of money, labor, or property is punishable in the same way as someone who commits larceny.

However, resume fraud cannot be used as a defense to discriminatory employment practices. For example, in Moodie v. Federal Reserve Bank, the Southern District of New York found that the alleged resume fraud was not the reason the employee was fired, but rather it was gender discrimination. Other jurisdictions have also emphasized that courts should be careful to spot whether resume fraud is used to cover up discriminatory employment practices.

For instance, in Cooper v. Rykoff-Sexton Inc., a California Court of Appeals stated that while resume fraud is a serious issue, so is termination of employment in violation of anti-discrimination laws or in breach of contract.

Overall, resume inflation is a serious problem that can have legal consequences. It is important to be honest on your resume and not misrepresent yourself to potential employers.