couple ways I can think of... First - old guy so his number was probably still generated based on area and issued prior to 1972... https://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/geocard.html ..so some basic social engineering discussions and questions could give part of that number. Second - old guy...shouldn't be hard to scam an old guy...find an old tax forms hidden in his house....or contact him as agovernment official...ask him to fill out some governement verification form you will send him via snail mail to 'verify' or apply for something as part of his current social security or medicare benefit...then have him drop it back in the mail to a drop box somewhere where you can then retrieve it - remind him a government worker would never ask him for private info on the phone - so you just want to let him know you are sending him the forms..third way - just steal his wallet...fourth way - apply via mail for a replacement copy of his SS card via the internet using his pertinent information like a phony birth certficate or a phony drivers license..I mean you are a con man--easy to get copies of those things, right? ;)