Legal analysis: According to the law, if you just buy a fake academic degree, this behavior is illegal and generally does not constitute a crime. Forging or selling fake academic qualifications constitutes a crime. That is to say, forging academic degrees will not constitute a crime in itself, but the process of forging academic degrees and the act of privately engraving official seals may constitute a crime, and it is suspected of forging, altering or buying or selling certificates and seals of state organs.

Legal basis: Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on how to apply the law in handling criminal cases of forging or selling forged academic qualifications and degree certificates of institutions of higher learning In order to punish the criminal activities of forging or selling forged academic qualifications and degree certificates of institutions of higher learning according to law, the relevant issues concerning the application of the law in handling such cases are explained as follows: The act of forging academic qualifications and degree certificates of institutions of higher learning shall be convicted and punished for forging the seal of institutions of higher learning in accordance with the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 280 of the Criminal Law. Whoever knowingly sells academic qualifications and degree certificates forged by seals of institutions of higher learning shall be punished as an accomplice in the crime of forging seals of public institutions. Article 280 of the Criminal Law of People's Republic of China (PRC): Whoever forges, alters, buys or sells or steals, seizes or destroys official documents, certificates and seals of state organs shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, public surveillance or deprivation of political rights, and shall also be fined; If the circumstances are serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years and shall also be fined. Article 280 bis: Whoever steals or uses another person's identity to obtain the qualifications for admission to institutions of higher learning, employment of civil servants and employment placement on behalf of another person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or public surveillance, and shall also be fined. Whoever organizes or instigates others to commit the acts mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall be given a heavier punishment in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph. State functionaries who commit the acts mentioned in the preceding two paragraphs, which constitute other crimes, shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of combined punishment for several crimes.