The Illuminati and other secret societies...?

I recently had someone message me and start asking me if I knew about the Illuminati.
They claimed to be a part of this group and claimed it was the same historical one founded in 1776.
They said it's not a secret society but an open one which confused me cause as far as I know most people in the know about this kinda stuff claim that the Illuminati died out historically and no longer exists.

I'm open minded to it still being around, yet.. How could one say it's an open society and not a secret one? That doesn't compute with me.
Furthermore he claimed the Illuminati will take people like me and give us around 200 thousand dollars to get our life in order and match up with their values.
However, you have to give your loyalty to them.

And I told this individual that I'm not able to give my loyalty to a group I know almost nothing about.
Loyalty is a strong word and you should not give it to anyone or anything that does not truly represent you, and how would you know if this group did represent you if you know almost nothing about it?
How can they expect someone to give loyalty to something they know almost nothing about? I don't get it.

Anyways.. That ended our conversation and.. I'm a lil mixed. I admit. I'm not 100% sure whether it was some kind of scam or someone in an Illuminati group.
Either way.. I can't give my loyalty to a group I know almost nothing about.
So.. If that was a real offer, I've now had what I believe to be the opportunity to join perhaps three different secret societies and refused them all.

How many of you would refuse the offer of 200 thousand dollars like that? And to be able to possibly join one of the most powerful societies in the world?
I have to wonder. How many of you are so principled that if you got that offer, you would reject it?

I still haven't ruled out joining any secret societies.
People say I should join the Free Masons or the Knights Templar and.. I haven't ruled it out.
I just really doubt I ever will, because.. I don't really feel like the secrecy is needed or justified in this day and age.

I'm trying to be an upright person, not an overly secretive one. I think joining a secret society would just make people trust me less..
And I think trust is important. Especially when I'm trying to become a movie maker and to share information with the world.
I wanna be as trusted as possible, so.. To join a secret society would just defeat that purpose in my opinion.
BUT.. As I said I haven't ruled it out, if someone ever presents the idea in a way that makes me feel like it's an honorable decision.. I may change my mind.

If someone could show me that these secret societies are actually good groups doing good things for the world and not sinister.. Then.. Maybe.
Though, that's really difficult and probably impossible to do since they are so secretive in their nature in the first place!
How could we really know they are doing good and it's not just a front? It's really difficult to know.
So, I really doubt I'll ever go down that road. I would need an amazingly compelling argument, which I just doubt I'll ever recieve.

What about you? Whoever happens to read this..? Would you join a secret society? Or are you maybe already in one?
Do you think they are good and noble or needed? Or do you think more should be out in the open in sunlight and not hidden in the dark?
Curious minds want to know! ._.