After the aura farming boy went viral, the online scams started

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Outside the boat-racing arena, Rayyan Arkan Dikha was just like any other 11-year-old boy.

He went to school and dreamed of becoming a police officer.

But after one Pacu Jalur event, a traditional boat race from his hometown of Riau on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, his dance moves went viral and his life has not been the same since.

Before the fame, Dikha had practised a lot.

“He’s been joining his father since he was eight or nine years old … they train three times a week,” Dikha’s mother, Rani Ridawati, told the ABC.

Dikha’s role in the team is to stand tall at the front of the boat and encourage rowers.

It’s known as togak luan.

Togak means upright in Dikha’s local language, and luan means the bow of the boat.

When a boat is leading a race, the togak luan stands upright, often doing a celebratory dance.

If the boat falls behind, the togak luan can take one for the team and jump into the water to lighten the load.

It was this celebratory dance that catapulted Dikha to viral fame, and earned him the nickname “the aura farming boy”, a term used for content that showcases someone’s charisma and coolness.

Dikha told the ABC his dance was never planned.

Millions have watched Dikha’s boat race videos, but he seemed unaware of just how famous he had become.

His spontaneity sparked a wave of imitation online, from content creators to international athletes.

Aside from getting a scholarship from the local government, not much has changed for Dikha, except now “many friends and teachers ask to take photos”, he said.

And though his schedule has become busier with public appearances, Dikha said he was happy to have “made lots of new friends”.

He has continued to train every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

When he’s not racing, Dikha likes to play soccer.

After meeting his idol from Indonesia’s national team, Marselino Ferdinan, Dikha said would love to meet his favourite soccer player — Cristiano Ronaldo.

Dodgy account tries to cash in

Along with Dikha’s viral video, the popularity of Pacu Jalur has surged.

It has drawn global interest including from popular Canadian YouTuber Luke Martin.

Martin is a food vlogger and has visited Indonesia several times.

After seeing Dikha’s dance he wanted to head to Riau to attend the Pacu Jalur Festival and meet the boy behind the viral video.

Martin said they initially contacted locals in Dikha’s area, and later reached out to an Instagram account named @officialboatkid, which has more than 900,000 followers.

The ABC reviewed the account and found it filled with photos and videos of Dikha performing. 

Among the posts was a promotional flyer for a “Dubai Tour July/August 2025”.

Martin said he began to chat with the person behind the account.

But things quickly felt off.

“They wanted $US30,000 ($46,000) from us to film with Dikha … we’ve been doing this for a long time and we all know that that’s just an insane amount of money to ask from anybody for a collaboration,” he said. 

Martin said his suspicions grew as he looked deeper.

“There was a live stream … the whole premise was ‘I’m the official account of Dikha, I’m going to do a live stream during the boat race, come watch me in the boat race’ but Dikha was nowhere to be seen,” he said.

“And then the other day they posted something on that Instagram account, that he was going to do a meme crypto coin, which is super suspicious, obviously.”

The Instagram account disappeared over the weekend, however it was active again by Wednesday.

A TikTok account with the same user name has been also posting and trying to convince viewers it was Dikha’s official account.

The ABC has reviewed the full chat history between Martin and the account claiming to represent Dikha. 

The ABC had also contacted the Instagram account multiple times for comments and about the Dubai Tour but has not received a response.

School and races, not tours

Dikha’s real manager, Dzikri Maulana, said people across the world had told them they had been asked to pay to meet him.

“We’ve had reports from friends in Malaysia, the US, Canada, and they said they were asked for money to meet Dikha,” Mr Maulana told ABC.

“We had no idea about that account, and it’s not owned by Dikha. 

“There are also many accounts out there accepting endorsements without our or Dikha’s knowledge.”

He also denied any plans for a Dubai tour, as mentioned in the impersonator account.

Mr Maulana added they only accepted weekend jobs to avoid disrupting Dikha’s schooling.

Officials urge caution over scams

Azhar, head of the Culture and Tourism Office in Dikha’s area, warned people to be cautious of scammers.

“We told Dikha’s family, especially his mother, that there may be people trying to profit off his name. I asked them to be careful,” Mr Azhar told ABC.

“If there’s anything they don’t understand, they can ask my office, or consult with relatives who have better understanding on how social media works.

“I also told Luke Martin that the [money request] wasn’t true. Just come to Kuansing — I’ll arrange for you to meet Dikha without paying a cent.”

Wrapping up his interview with the ABC, Dikha shared one more wish — to visit Australia.

“I want to see kangaroos,” he said.