We report on XMM-Newton observations of three nearby galaxy pairs, AM0707-273, AM1211-465, and AM2040-674. All six galaxies were previously classified as HII galaxies based on optical and IR spectroscopic analysis. All galaxies were detected with XMM-Newton and each member was isolated and analyzed independently. The X-ray spectra reveal strong evidence of AGN activity in the NE member of AM1211-465 pair. We measured a luminosity of 1.94₋₀ׅ₁₅⁺⁰˙¹¹ x 10⁴² erg/s in the 2-10 keV band and the presence of a neutral FeKα line with a confidence level of 98.8%. The high nH value, 2.2 ± 0.2 × 10²² cm⁻², would explain the misclassification of the source. Marginal evidence of AGN nature was found in the X-ray spectra of AM1211-465SWand AM0707-273E. The X-ray emission of the three remaining galaxies can be explained by starburst activity.