The transition is subtle. It is hard to get through to a recruit. Cult members try to isolate recruits from the recruits' friends and family. They also use deceit to gain desired ends. The process is subtle.
Cults have the technique down pat.
Yes, power over the members and their pocketbooks. Consequences range from little disorientation to massive disorders. Merely talking to a member of a cult is normally fruitless. But recovering may be difficult, or virtually impossible. They're unlikely to accept other's beliefs.