diff --git a/backend/src/services/org/org-service.ts b/backend/src/services/org/org-service.ts
index bfd24e639..4a72f12e8 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/org/org-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/org/org-service.ts
@@ -835,16 +835,22 @@ export const orgServiceFactory = ({
 
         // if the user doesn't exist we create the user with the email
         if (!inviteeUser) {
-          inviteeUser = await userDAL.create(
-            {
-              isAccepted: false,
-              email: inviteeEmail,
-              username: inviteeEmail,
-              authMethods: [AuthMethod.EMAIL],
-              isGhost: false
-            },
-            tx
-          );
+          // TODO(carlos): will be removed once the function receives usernames instead of emails
+          const usersByEmail = await userDAL.findUserByEmail(inviteeEmail, tx);
+          if (usersByEmail?.length === 1) {
+            [inviteeUser] = usersByEmail;
+          } else {
+            inviteeUser = await userDAL.create(
+              {
+                isAccepted: false,
+                email: inviteeEmail,
+                username: inviteeEmail,
+                authMethods: [AuthMethod.EMAIL],
+                isGhost: false
+              },
+              tx
+            );
+          }
         }
 
         const inviteeUserId = inviteeUser?.id;
diff --git a/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts b/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts
index b5a29fc8c..0f623dff1 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ export const userDALFactory = (db: TDbClient) => {
   const findUserByUsername = async (username: string, tx?: Knex) =>
     (tx || db)(TableName.Users).whereRaw('lower("username") = :username', { username: username.toLowerCase() });
 
+  const findUserByEmail = async (email: string, tx?: Knex) =>
+    (tx || db)(TableName.Users).whereRaw('lower("email") = :email', { email: email.toLowerCase() }).where({
+      isEmailVerified: true
+    });
+
   const getUsersByFilter = async ({
     limit,
     offset,
@@ -234,6 +239,7 @@ export const userDALFactory = (db: TDbClient) => {
     findOneUserAction,
     createUserAction,
     getUsersByFilter,
-    findAllMyAccounts
+    findAllMyAccounts,
+    findUserByEmail
   };
 };