Extradition of Woman Accused of Targeting Men via Dating Apps

The FBI has confirmed the extradition of Aurora Phelps from Mexico to the United States. She faces federal charges for allegedly using dating apps to target older men, drugging them, and stealing their money and identities. Phelps, a 44-year-old dual U.S.-Mexican citizen, is already on trial in Mexico for murder. U.S. prosecutors accuse her of a yearslong scheme that left multiple victims dead and cost others millions.

Extradition from Mexico

Sandy Breault, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Las Vegas field office, stated, “Ms. Phelps will be extradited to the U.S., but no date has been set yet.” Phelps was indicted by federal prosecutors in Las Vegas on 21 counts, including wire fraud, identity theft, and kidnapping. One kidnapping charge claims a victim died, which could lead to a life sentence if she is convicted on all counts.

Murder Trial in Mexico

Phelps’ murder trial in Mexico involves the death of Robert Erbach, an American retiree in Guadalajara. They met on Tinder in 2021 during Erbach’s divorce. Friends reported that they dated for months before attending a concert at the Hard Rock Hotel in Guadalajara in December 2021, the last time Erbach was seen alive. His body was found two days later, the cause of death determined as asphyxiation.

Court records show Phelps allegedly drove Erbach’s BMW to Las Vegas and opened a Wells Fargo account using his information. Surveillance footage reportedly shows her withdrawing money using his debit card, and more than $50,000 was taken from his accounts. Erbach’s son received text messages from his father’s phone, written in broken English, claiming he had relocated to Ecuador and instructing the family not to search for him.

Federal Charges and Broader Allegations

Phelps is linked to other alleged victims by federal prosecutors. In Las Vegas in 2021, she supposedly gained a man’s trust, then drugged him, leaving him unconscious for five days. Prosecutors claim she stole his phone, identification, bank cards, and attempted to liquidate $3.3 million of Apple stock from his E-Trade account.

In another case, a man met Phelps via a dating app in November 2022. She is accused of heavily sedating him, transporting him to Mexico City, where he was found dead in a hotel room. She is also linked to a man’s death in Guadalajara in May 2022. Prosecutors claim she used his accounts to buy a gold coin mailed to her address.

FBI Search for More Victims

The FBI believes more victims could exist, based on the scale of the alleged fraud. A public alert was issued and a news conference held in February 2025 to identify additional victims. At least 11 people have reportedly been targeted by Phelps, who is accused of using dating platforms and personal relationships to access their financial information and accounts.

The FBI bulletin includes photos and aliases used by Phelps, like Aurora Flores, Aurora Velasco, and Aurora Alvarez. While older men were primarily targeted, the FBI notes that women and younger individuals may also have been affected.