So here's the finalization of the mess:
I made a mistake in returning the funds to scammer instead of waiting for the next day. ( I received the email at 1 am and took the decision soon after)
All the pending payments are hereby cleared: b97205dbdda3f7f87ff8817448fb57606553b9b1b4c861c0fb3f8e0054b941d6
Those who were not eligible for payment also received $1 as compensation: 6584f7b04062dd123a3a1dd69226e71e9a27c865e9939566cb976dd940116e0a
Everyone makes mistakes at some point of time. Learning from a mistake is what makes oneself sensible.
And insulting always isn't a perfect solution to a problem.