Once you write a few extra years of experience in your resume for one job application, land a job and somehow you persevere and productively contribute to that project, you are literally done. You won't have to add those extra years for your second job and so forth (because you already did it!). There is a difference between claiming you have some degree you don't have, and stating in your resume that you 'worked in such and such project'. With due respect to the justice system, I feel much comfortable speeding 15 mph over the speed limit (I respect you if you have never sped), and acknowledge at the same time that speeding is punishable by law.