In South Africa it is now a jailable offense to claim a degree that you don't really have. https://www.businessinsider.co.za/national-qualifications-framework-amendment-act-offences-for-fraud-2019-8
I don't like the part where they say people with degrees from bogus "schools" can be off the hook because they could be considered "victims." ...Oh, all right, no jail for them then. A severe Singapore-style caning and off they go. A free learning experience for 'em.
This is the dilemma we've wrestled with since...forever. When nontraditional higher education was getting its mojo in the early 1970s, I could believe that diploma mills' customers could be considered victims. It was really hard to tell, especially with unaccredited schools who were trying to be legitimate. As John Bear reminds us, one person's degree mill is another person's nontraditional university. John wrote a significant article in 2000 about the "victim vs. villain" issue. With most legitimate, unaccredited, nontraditional universities either achieving recognized accreditation or fading away, the distinctions are easier to make. I think the villain/victim equation has altered mightily.
I believe it is a criminal offense to claim an unaccredited doctorate in Florida. Biggest issue is that you're on the right side of the law if your awarding institution is on the religious exemption list in Florida. Since anyone with the ability to sign an affidavit and a willingness to pay the state their $10 fee can get on that list, it would mean you'd have to be pretty exceptionally lazy to get busted for it in Florida. Also, wasn't this the case in Oregon before they kind of dialed it back?