Yes.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/freedom-mind/202201/multi-level-marketing-groups-operate-much-cults
Operate Much Like Cults
MLMs manipulate, recruit, and maintain members the same as cults do.
MLMs Adopt Cult Techniques
To understand how MLMs recruit and maintain participants requires examining them as cults. Most MLMs use tactics of recruitment, financial manipulation, and the promise of large profits. But, like all cults, they employ thought control, magical thinking, thought-stopping, and self-blame. Failures are blamed directly on the consultants, for lack of hard work or competence. The group has no accountability, and the leaders do not allow questions or criticism.
Massachusetts lawyer Douglas Brooks, an expert on marketing frauds, has said of MLMs, “…you’re trained to avoid people who question whether this is a viable business or not. Which is exactly the same technique that cults use—they try to isolate you from people who question your belief system.”
Recruiters can be very convincing. They use deception in all its forms (withholding vital information, distorting information, and outright lying) to ensnare people who have not learned about cult mind-control techniques. There is no such cultish recruiting in a regular sales job.
AND
How Do Multi-level Marketing Groups Recruit and Retain?
Direct selling depends on social interaction and development of relationships. Recruitment of new distributors is even more dependent on the perception of friendship, caring, and other socially positive images.
Social aspects of recruitment often involve large seminars or other types of scripted events. Successful distributors—they are a very small minority—present their inspiring rags-to-riches stories. Couples may appear together; the husband talking proudly about providing for his family, his wife swearing their marriage has become so much more fun and loving.
One recruitment event was held at a casino, complete with loud music and good food. All of the recruitment is done in specifically designed small increments. A recruit becomes “hooked” before being made fully aware of what they are buying into.
When product distributors experience doubt and ask questions, they are subjected to emotional manipulation. Pressure to stay in the MLM group also comes from within. Social media plays a large part in the selling and recruiting process. Distributors spend a great deal of time, effort, and money to establish their presence on social media sites. The social media “community” is a source of support. Giving it up is frightening. People have often recruited close friends and family into the organization and suffer a great deal of shame and guilt when it falls apart. There is legitimate fear of retaliation from the organization itself.
This isn't the only place that says similar. It's well known and one of the reasons there is such concern about MLMs.
I was going to post something along these lines about the link between MLM and Cults and TRAs before you asked the question.
It didn't exactly surprise me to read that a TRA of this high profile is also into MLM.
And here's a thing...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/02/doterra-young-living-multilevel-marketing-companies-got-autism-community-hooked-essential-oils/
How Multilevel Marketing Companies Got the Autism Community Hooked on Essential Oils
Vague wellness language and an army of salespeople are miracle treatments for the bottom line.
It looks a lot like MLM companies have a history of actively targeting the autistic community.
And yes we know that autistic people are more at risk of being radicalised or joining cults.
https://theconversation.com/are-autistic-people-at-greater-risk-of-being-radicalised-76726
Terror recruits often seem to come from vulnerable backgrounds. But new research suggests that those with traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could be more at risk of being radicalised. It follows a number of high-profile cases where autism appears to have played a role in the offender’s behaviour. So if people with ASD could be at higher risk, how can we protect them from falling under the spell of terror organisations such as the so-called Islamic State?
AND
Risk factors
It is important to caution here that there is no substantial link between ASD and terrorism. However, there may be specific risk factors which could increase the risk of offending among people with ASD. Autistic special interests such as fantasy, obsessiveness (extreme compulsiveness), the need for routine/predictability and social/communication difficulties can all increase the vulnerability of an person with ASD to going down the pathway to terrorism.
^^
Searching for a “need to matter” or social connection and support for someone who is alienated or without friends may also present as risk factors. People with an ASD may be more vulnerable to being drawn into increasingly more involved commitment. They also have a tendency to hyper-focus in on their fascinations and interests at the expense of other attachments and life interests. These are potentially the conditions which extremists are increasingly exploiting in people they target for recruitment and training.
Odd coincidence huh?
I think we are liable to see increasing research which begins to link social media, lone wolves and extremism of all different kinds with a high rate of autism. I don't think that it exists as yet but I think it will come because of these higher risk factors unfortunately. It's depressing.
^^