As the wise man said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a lb. of cure." It pays to research anything you get involved in thoroughly before you shell out money, or give away your allegience.
Once you're in some group, it can be really difficult to get out, especially if you're earning a living based upon the groups membership or if you social life is mostly structured around the group.
And some of these groups keep you really busy. Loads of indoctrination, Bible studies, what have you.
It's been said that "idle hands are the devil's workshop" or something to that effect. Well, the Devil can be busy at work even if you have loads to do.

One can research till they're blue in the face and have their questions answered with expertly fabricated lies. Finding former members is not east - people are fortunate to have stumbled across this web site. Many people who have "escaped" are generally too confused, embarassed or injured to be able to give a coherent account of what they went through. Life is about risk. Getting out of a group with battle scars and helping others via web sites like this and word of mouth is probably the only we can hope for.

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Life is about risk. Getting out of a group with battle scars and helping others via web sites like this and word of mouth is probably the only we can hope for.

I believe the types of risk people take when joining a cult all have common threads. Usually, it a very risk assuming attitude towards a new religion, uncharted territory.
I comment on this website to help people out, so they won't be taken by surprise.